Confessions of a Food Nazi
I am lucky. Neither of my kids have ever been terribly picky. My kids actually like brussels sprouts and brocoli. However, I know that at least part of this is because I’m a bit of a Food Nazi. It’s not that I’m even that hung up on them eating healthy food every single minute, but if I cook something they are going to eat it. Whether they like it or not. For extreme cases, such as mushrooms and tomatoes, we have the one bite rule. We have as yet never backed down. We’ve had gagging at the dinner table, but by God those mushrooms were tasted.
I am also a believer that kids join our lives, not the other way around. So if I’ve got a hankerin’ for eggplant parmesan, that’s what they’re having. This is one of the few benefits of being the family cook. I choose what we eat. That’s not to say that I don’t consider the kids’ preferences when planning meals, but only to a point.
When they were younger I used to sneak veggies into meatballs, Deceptively Delicious style. But that takes work. Now I’m lazier. I just plop it out on the plate at say EAT!
I’m not much help with the sneaky tricks, but if you’ve got picky eaters at home you can find a lot of good tips today at the Parent Bloggers Network. They’ve asked regular moms like me to share their secrets. Go check it out.
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by Lela Davidson on October 26, 2007
in Uncategorized
I have to say, my kids eat most anything as well. We’ve actually had people stare when my then 2 1/2 year old walked into a grocery store and demanded cauliflower. I have put veggies into bread – but always told them what they are eating. I try not to hide it.
I always tell my kids that I am not a short order cook. We make one family meal and eat together. If they are hungry, they will eat at least something
It is hard to avoid power struggles at the table, but we can never force a kid to eat. That is one place where kids can actually have a little control in their lives for a change – they can decide what does or doesn’t go into their mouths. The best thing we can do is to keep giving them healthy options and eventually they will make the right choice.
On my blog, I have been talking about this book, and its rival, The Sneaky Chef. I love that they offer good information about the nutrient content of certain ingredients and that they offer healthier alternatives to many other “typical kid foods.” But I don’t like that they are advocating dishonesty.
Check out the article (http://whatscookingblog.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/is-deceptively-delicious-too-deceptive/) and see some of the discussion about balancing the act of getting our kids to eat well while being honest.
I think I need this.. not for baby but for hubby! Thanks!!!
Did anyone read that horrible article about how Mrs. Seinfeld is a bad mother for lying to her kids? I only saw the intro and figured it was either not written by a mother, or it was written by one of those moms you have to avoid. I think whatever you do to make sure your kids eat healthy is more than acceptable. And if there are no tears, even better!
Some people just don’t get it.