I am participating in National Blog Posting Month, NaBloPoMo, where I will be posting every day in the month of November.
I was a fussy eater when I was a kid. Really fussy. I did not like:
Sauces of any kind
Gravy
Potatoes
Eggs
Vegetables – all
Most fruits
Butter
Jam
Foods touching other foods
I know that my Mom was exasperated at times (Hi Mom!), but she handled my pickiness perfectly. I was not nagged to try things that turned my stomach to even look at; I was never forced to eat just a few bites of something; dessert was never withheld because I hadn’t eaten my dinner, though in our house, dessert was only for special occasions and not a daily part of our lives; another practice that I like and have adopted with my own family.
What my Mom did do was always cook a variety of healthy meals; she would leave things plain for me; she would always put just a little bit of the foods that I did not like on my plate, such as one broccoli floret or three peas.
Growing up I was a healthy kid. I did not catch colds, and I even remember that when I was in grade five I didn’t even believe in colds, having not had one in my recent memory. I was a normal and healthy height and weight, and I had enough energy to get through my days and weeks. I didn’t get cavities.
Very gradually, the availability of different foods tempted me, and eventually I would try something new, always one thing at a time. That piece of cauliflower didn’t look too ominous, and gravy might make that meat taste a little more interesting. It was a long and slow process and it didn’t happen overnight, but by the time I was in my late teens and early twenties, I was eating almost everything and loved experimenting with new types of foods.
My six and eight-year-old daughters like things plain for the most part, though neither of them is anywhere near as fussy as I was. N’s favourite dinner is salmon and broccoli, B loves sauces and Mexican flavoured dishes like chili, and they both love eggs and fruits. Yes, they eat a lot of pasta and potatoes, but they get a lot more variety in their tummies than I did at their age.
Regardless, I know not to worry or stress about it. I definitely don’t want my daughters to feel stress or pressure over eating food. Eating is natural and enjoyable, and I want our dinner times to be about being together and feeling happy and safe and comfortable. The rest will come with time, I am sure of it.
But if I’m coming to your home for dinner, please note that I am not perfect. Please, no mushrooms, eggs or olives for me. (Shudder).
Crap. I was going to feed you a fungus omelette 😛 with olive garnish.
I have picky eaters – but they improve all the time.
I'll keep your preferences in mind – but honestly, how do you survive without eggs? It's my standby last minute meal idea.
I was a picky eater as a kid and have improved a lot since then. Now I like cheese, at least. And bread crusts. And sauce on my pasta.
But I'm still with you on the mushrooms and olives. Yuck.
What a great attitude, Finola. I was a picky eater and I remember too well the dread I felt at dinner time. I don't want my kids to feel that. My husband, on the other hand, sees it as a battle of wills, and that my son needs to succumb. But I fight the good fight and try to stay reasonable. (why do some people think it's so important to force food into a kid's mouth? It's disrespectful to their bodies, I think. I also think that people who force feed tend to have food issues themselves.)
Sara, I'm so glad I mentioned in then!
Denise, I often feed my daughters eggs for dinner but then I just eat something junky when they aren't looking.
Zoom,Sounds like our food tastes are a lot alike 🙂
Jana, I think people who were never picky just can't understand what it is like. I like the way you said it about it being disrespectful to force children to eat.
It's funny how that happens isn't it.
I never really considered myself all that picky, and am much more adventurous now that I was. Looking back I probably was tough to feed at times, particularly as I was one of thoes no condiments people.
You're right about being able to enjoy food.
I have a friend and I have no idea how his wife puts up with his pickiness. He's almost 30 and still likes a mostly meat diet. Yikes!
Your list at the end made me laugh as the olives and eggs are no nos for me as well.
FYI, I found this site courtesy of the Mindful Merchant blog.
Ug, I'm with you on the eggs and mushrooms. I can and will eat both but only if cooked very very specifically. Running eggs give me the heaves. I like your Mom's approach to dealing with it. My parents were more of the “you'll sit at the table until you've eaten everything on your plate” type. I spent many long evenings alone staring at my plate until bedtime. My kid is already picky about what she eats (no purees ever – only finger food, no veggies, loves fruit and meat) and I have no intention of arguing about food. I'm not going to be her personal chef either but I figure in a family there's plenty of other more important things to argue about.