The Gerber Generation

A couple of days ago, I decided to buy Kira a Gerber Graduates cheese ravioli meal.  My thinking was that it would be easy to cut into small pieces, and that was indeed the case.  The only problem?  I don't know what that stuff is made of, but it isn't food.

She made the worst face when she tried the first bite.  Then, I got the "what is this?  have you lost your mind!?" look.  The look that says I am too crazy to even be babbled at.  Wondering what could be wrong with cheese ravioli, I popped one into my mouth.  Without another word, I went and got her something else to eat.  How, Gerber, how can you go wrong with cheese ravioli?

You know how American cheese says "Processed Cheese Product" on the label?  Honestly, I don't think this meal could even qualify for that.  I couldn't even taste fake cheese flavoring.  No wonder she didn't want to eat it.

My daughter will happily snatch up pieces of rice and chicken from the Mexican restaurant and curry at the Thai place. She loves to eat what we are eating, and that makes me happy. I thought the occassional Gerber meal would be good for lunch if I was super busy, but Kira will have none of it. And who could blame her?

I've seen children who will only eat chicken nuggets and fries at every restaurant.  Sometimes, that's just a phase.  But I have to wonder if sometimes that is caused by a generation of children raised on these Gerber Graduate meals.  They are bland to the point of ridiculousness when few spices cause children any bother.  How many children think that is what food is supposed to be?

I've decided that if I want a quick and easy lunch for Kira, I'll just make extra real ravioli next time we have it and put it in the freezer.  Thawing might not be quite as fast, but it will be so, so much better.  In more ways than one.