My family has a rotation of about 5 meals that they will consistently eat without complaining. It's ME that gets bored. The approved list is: tacos, spaghetti, grilled chicken, pizza (even homemade is good), and mini burgers (a great little recipe I'll share later). We could survive on that. But I'm itching to try all the great looking recipes in my cookbook collection. And I'm sold on increasing our vegetable to meat intake ratio. And that's where the trouble starts. I try to get fancy. Tonight's salmon croquettes with sweet potato fries was a moderate success. I press on using the "expand their palettes" rationale. I mean, I know some picky ADULT eaters and it's not any prettier at age 30 than it is at age 3. HIGH MAINTENANCE.
So my strategy is to try some new things but put some reliable go-to's on the table as well. Mini burgers with some peppered roasted brocolli on the side...
Your "expand their palates" strategy sounds good! Some of my most vivid childhood memories are centered around the dinner table -- food, conversation, interactions. It's an extremely powerful thing.
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit on something worth recognizing as we attempt to turn uncivilized little people into adults, too: It's never good manners to complain about what someone else has spent time cooking for you!
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about turning the tables on them a bit and letting them plan and prepare something new and healthy?!
I read in a blog that it can take toddlers about 20 interactions with a food before they decide that they like it. I bet it is even more with older people! Press on...
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about how many times per day they eat. What's breakfast like?
ReplyDeleteBreakfast is a non event. Two of them have really early lunch times at school - 10:30! So I don't worry too much. It's usually a glass of chocolate soy milk and maybe a grapefruit. My oldest makes herself a frozen waffle with peanut butter almost every day. But it's definitely not a sit-down affair. They are picky about what I pack in their lunches. I do my best. I don't give them junk food. Yogurt, canned soup, fruit, cheese & crackers (for the ONE who eats cheese). Then they are starving after school. This would be a good time for dinner if my husband was home. So they have yogurt, peanut butter crackers, granola bar, cereal... that kind of stuff. Maybe more than you wanted to know. :)
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