How to raise an adventurous eater
My son is two and a half, so these can be no more than preliminary thoughts on getting a kid to try new things. By adventurous eater I mean a child who is willing to try new cuisines, not one who eats a wide variety of vegetables or what have you. It would be cool if my son loved hummus, brussel sprouts, and spinach salad. He doesn't. He does, however, love dim sum and Thai food.
I grew up in the Midwest, in a true meat-and-potatoes family. For many years my parents purchased a side of beef to store in the freezer. And cooked with lard. Vegetables often came in cans. It has been a long, long time since I've eaten those kinds of meals, and part of my transition to who I am has to do with what I eat.
I've had this idea of an adventurous eater in my head, as a goal, since the transition away from baby mush to real food. A tiny part of it is about diet: we all know that kids (and the rest of us) should eat more vegetables, varied grains, and so forth. Most ethnic cuisines have these in greater abundance than the average American meal, and, I think, provide them in a more appealing package. It's easier to eat cabbage and spinach if they are in a dumpling.
Eating adventurously is also about being open to new things, and new experiences. I want my son to go to new, unexplored places and find a way to make the situation work. Part of this is being willing to try what's on your plate, even if it looks funny. In learning to do this you also learn respect for other cultures. I've eaten a second helping of pig intestine soup because it was provided for me as a special treat. I'd rather not have it again, but that evening was worth the charade on my part. Does adventurous eating lead to exuberant living? I don't know, but I have cousins who won't venture beyond that Midwestern palate, and also still live within 20 miles of their mother.
How does this work out in practice? Well, we assume it is normal to eat a wide variety of different things. We take him to (or get carry-out from) restaurants where we want to eat. Most ethnic restaurants are forgiving of children, and are less expensive to boot. We tend to go to Asian restaurants. We choose dishes we think he will like, and tend to share with him rather than choose something designated for children (not surprisingly, most ethnic don't have children's menus). We don't get upset if he doesn't eat much: if he has a grain, some milk or other dairy (mmm ... mango lassi) and some fruit, he'll probably make it through the night. We let him try things that don't seem like kid food. He's had barley tea at Korean restaurants, and has developed quite a taste for chrysthanemum tea. He's ordered himself a caesar salad and eaten most of it. Just yesterday, he requested bulgogi ("beef and rice"). So we're on our way.
But he won't eat avocado.
I grew up in the Midwest, in a true meat-and-potatoes family. For many years my parents purchased a side of beef to store in the freezer. And cooked with lard. Vegetables often came in cans. It has been a long, long time since I've eaten those kinds of meals, and part of my transition to who I am has to do with what I eat.
I've had this idea of an adventurous eater in my head, as a goal, since the transition away from baby mush to real food. A tiny part of it is about diet: we all know that kids (and the rest of us) should eat more vegetables, varied grains, and so forth. Most ethnic cuisines have these in greater abundance than the average American meal, and, I think, provide them in a more appealing package. It's easier to eat cabbage and spinach if they are in a dumpling.
Eating adventurously is also about being open to new things, and new experiences. I want my son to go to new, unexplored places and find a way to make the situation work. Part of this is being willing to try what's on your plate, even if it looks funny. In learning to do this you also learn respect for other cultures. I've eaten a second helping of pig intestine soup because it was provided for me as a special treat. I'd rather not have it again, but that evening was worth the charade on my part. Does adventurous eating lead to exuberant living? I don't know, but I have cousins who won't venture beyond that Midwestern palate, and also still live within 20 miles of their mother.
How does this work out in practice? Well, we assume it is normal to eat a wide variety of different things. We take him to (or get carry-out from) restaurants where we want to eat. Most ethnic restaurants are forgiving of children, and are less expensive to boot. We tend to go to Asian restaurants. We choose dishes we think he will like, and tend to share with him rather than choose something designated for children (not surprisingly, most ethnic don't have children's menus). We don't get upset if he doesn't eat much: if he has a grain, some milk or other dairy (mmm ... mango lassi) and some fruit, he'll probably make it through the night. We let him try things that don't seem like kid food. He's had barley tea at Korean restaurants, and has developed quite a taste for chrysthanemum tea. He's ordered himself a caesar salad and eaten most of it. Just yesterday, he requested bulgogi ("beef and rice"). So we're on our way.
But he won't eat avocado.
posted by Nell at 7:56 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home