Whenever the talk turns to grabbing a bite to eat, this is the question I always hear:
"What will your kids eat?"
The short answer? Anything. Well, pretty much anything. My kids really aren't all that picky. They eat a variety of different flavors and enjoy different types of ethnic cuisine. They're not picky about what type of meat it is and they most certainly don't expect their chicken to come in "nugget form". But why? Why are they so, dare I say, easy? At least when it comes to food...
Well, let me first make the disclaimer that neither my husband nor my family has a history of food allergies. Let me also assure you that my kids can be random and finicky just like the next. But,as a whole, I stick with what I said- they're good eaters.
It seems strange to a lot of people that my two children (who are only 2 and 3, for the record) love dishes with red pepper flakes, drink white grapefruit juice, enjoy risotto with crab and goat cheese, and can take or leave the blue cheese I sometimes melt on their steak. They don't pick out parsley bits and they don't flinch upon trying spicy brown mustard.
Why?
Because I've always fed it to them. I guess I just never got in the habit of preparing their food any differently from mine and my husband's... and he and I aren't exactly plain Janes. My kids didn't get plain ground beef in their tacos; they got the same spicy stuff as we did. When I cooked up Hot & Sour Peanut Noodles, that's what I gave them, not plain spaghetti. If we happen to go out to dinner, it's rare that I find their meals on the Kids' Menu. They often eat seafood and rice rather than chicken fingers and fries. It's just the way it is for us.
And you know what?
It Works for Me!
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6 comments:
Interesting post today. As you know, we have food and eating issues with Addyson, stemming from the fact that she was NG fed for so long and didn't get to keep that natural suck/swallow reflex. In addition to her severe reflux, she has difficulty knowing what to do with food once it is in her mouth. The doctors have always told us that many times in cases like these, bold flavors tend to "wake up" their mouth and they are more apt to swallow. We have tried a variety of spicy foods and are currently looking for new ones. I usually don't cook with a lot of seasonings, so I'm at a loss. The doctors and therapists say that the Gerber Graduate type meals are no where near the flavor level that she is probably needing, so I'll be trying to come up with some things she can try.
I read somewhere that in utero babies are being prepared for the foods of their culture. So maybe you were spicing it up way back when :) My kids are also good eaters too, I think because I have always expected them to be too.
Love this post and I have a million thoughts and ideas. will try to comment later when I have a chance, Tiffany (Liam's mom)
That is great, You did not let them be picky by offering them junk food to get addicted to. My grandson ate very well when they lived with us. No they are away and he will not eat any veggie but raw one. He is now a fast food kid. You did a great job
I love this post. Same thing at our house. It's always been "you eat what's served or you don't eat." People constantly comment about how well our children eat. Good for you!
(and thanks so much for mentioning my blog on Life as Mom. So sweet!)
I wouldn't categorize my kids as picky, but it is frustrating to me that they don't try more things willingly, or eat veggies w/o being coerced. For the most part I have done what you do, made one meal and served it to everybody. I can't figure out where I went wrong; as a child I ate what was put in front of me, veggies and salad included, and I liked it!
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