Sunday, November 05, 2006

First Post - let the challenge begin!
Let me start with the basics. I am a mother of two children (I will resist the temptation to add the obligatory "wonderful") who represent polar opposites in terms of their relationship with vegetables. My daughter, who is ten, has always enjoyed food, relished new tastes and even been prepared to eat foods that she doesn't particularly enjoy. My son however, who has many talents, cannot count vegetable-eating among them. In his seven years he has been nothing if not consistent - consistently refusing all vegetables barring potatoes and sweetcorn. Now I do realise that in the grand scheme of small fussy-eaters he wouldn't warrant a second glance. I have read about a boy who survived on nothing but jam sandwiches all of his childhood, of a girl who will only eat food that is brown in colour. My son at seven wouldn't even get a nomination in the Fussy Eating Oscars compared to the likes of those two. But I don't want his determination to avoid vegetables to be overlooked. It shows sticking power. All I want to achieve though in this challenge is to cajole, charm or even trick him into eating just a little more than potatoes. I read that there are 200 types to choose from and thousands of variations on those to try. There has to be something that he will like. And given all the pressure on us as a parents to get our kids to eat healthily it almost feels like a legal obligation to at least try. No doubt in twenty years time there will be newspaper reports of children suing their parents for failing to instill healthy eating habits in them. Maybe a passive-snacking law will be passed to protect the impressionable dears from being exposed to unhealthy eating habits. Anyhow in the spirit of the World Wide Web I am opening up this blog to all of you parents out there who have tried and succeeded to introduce your offspring to the joys of carrots, peas, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, avocado, beetroot, green beans - in fact any vegetable. Any ideas gratefully received.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:12 AM

    I look forward to hearing how you do .....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:41 PM

    I think the method of subterfuge is the way to go. Disguise those vegies and he won't even know he is eating them.

    Make burgers and pies but mince the vegies and mix them in with the meat. Make your own vegie stock and use it as the soup base (he can't strain that out!). Puree the soup so he can't see the vegies. Puree carrots and zucchini (courgette) into a napoli sauce to put on pasta. Make pureed vegies into little dumplings with cheese and breadcrumbs and pan fry them. Then tell him they are a treat.

    Hope these suggestions help!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:13 PM

    Have you tried beating him I hear it is very successful. You could also suggest that if he doesnt eat vegetables he will turn into a girl.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I fear beating children is currently out of vogue and is now frowned upon by the authorities.
    And with the demise of the so-called glass ceiling the girl threat no longer holds the same weight...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:29 PM

    I'm a teen myself who loves cooking and for quite a while my friends and i and my sister and I have had cooking competitions kind of like a ready steady cook but simpler! We would just raid the kitchen, choose a few items and give ourselves a time limit. And yes...we have used vegetables and savoury foods and not just baking stuff! plus sibling rivalry is a big encouragement! Try giving them each the same veggie, 20 minutes and bpth get put on the table witht heir name on it!
    Good Luck!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great idea - thank you for that. I do think kids love cooking and will naturally learn to like foods more if they get to enjoy using them.
    Will try it out!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't have children of my own (Am celibate and childless, and always will be, thank you.), but I'm subscribing to this blog because I was a former picky eater! Before undergoing a weight loss program, I shunned a lot of veggies and I have a strong taste of my favorite food - fettuccine Alfredo! I tried to remind myself to eat vegetables, and I lost 45 pounds due to my efforts! Those childhood memories, like most of yours, motivated me to subscribe!

    I recently tried clover sprouts in a caprese salad spiked with hot sauce (Isn't that a weird idea to get your 5 to 9 a day by spiking veggies with spicy dressing?) as a snack today.

    ReplyDelete

We always love to read your comments - thank you