Family Food Shinanigans

As a mom to five kids, I try to make a variety of meals. I balance convenience, cost, time, and nutrition. I try to make many of my own meals, but I too enjoy tossing in a pizza or heating up a hot dog and a box of macaroni and cheese. My biggest challenge isn't making meals, it is making meals that my kids will eat. I have three noodle lovers, 1 who will eat them once in a while, one that is nauseated if he sits by a noodle eater. I have 3 potato lovers, one that will taste them if forced, and another that would rather starve. So, when it comes to rice... all my kids will eat it, but my husband thinks that it is a waste of energy lifting the spoon to his mouth. Veggies only take starches to a whole other level..... In short we eat a lot of corn, broccoli and salad.

Well, I am here to tell you also that I may have one of the pickiest eaters around. My oldest has sensory processing issues amongst a few other challenges. Some of his struggles come in the form of food. We have struggled to find things that he will tolerate and times and situations where we can bend his boundaries over the last 10 years. Sometimes he struggles taste, other times it is a textures and after that we deal with food touching issues. Over the years we have made quite a bit of progress. I can wipe sauces off of meat and he will eat it. I can combine a few different food together and he will eat most of my concoctions. About six months ago he even asked me to make peas....and he ate the whole micro-steam bag!!

So you can just about imagine that I was stopped in my tracks when my little 13 year old chef ( We call him Boy'R Dee.) was re-heating via the grill 2 kinds of meat ( his favorite food to eat) and a wide variety of veggies. He had carrots, broccoli, cauliflower heating up. Then once he was done eating, he asked if he could make more! Yes, my jaw dropped to the floor! When he asked if I could buy more mixed fresh veggies for him, I almost cried!

I share this today because in most families I meet, there is usually someone who is labeled as "the picky eater". I am here to tell you that there is hope. I always ask my kids to try what I make for dinner. They can lick, bite, chew, suck on the item, but they need to try what I provide for them before I will allow them to pass on eating it.

Don't ever give up. Food should never be a fight, but an opportunity!