100 new foods

Green cabbage

green_cabbage_picky_eater_picky_eating_kids_FeedMeDearly

Our experiment with green cabbage serves to illustrate an important point when you’re dealing with kids: they’re fickle. Mark my words (in fact, look them up on the site, they’re there for all eternity), the kids liked red cabbage. Loved it. Inhaled it. Which led me to believe that they’d likewise inhale green cabbage. And although Sam was a taker, this gorgeous veg wasn’t received well across the board. But even if I have one victory, it’s a major victory…

ME: Who knows what this is?

SAM: Cabbage.

IN UNISON: Green Cabbage.

SAM: It looks like cheese inside…

ME: Green Cabbage. That’s right. OK. Do you think it’s going to taste the same or different as red cabbage?

SAM: The same.

LAUREN: Different.

EMMA: Different.

ME: Yeah? OK. Let me give you each a piece. You think you’re going to like it? Because you guys love red cabbage right?

ME:  You love Red Cabbage right?

(silence)

ME: OK, maybe loved is the operative word.

EMMA: I want one of that cabbage.

ME: So, do you want a crunchy piece from the inside or a softer, greener piece?

EMMA: Crunchy.

LAUREN: I want a crunchy piece.

ME: And then you can compare it to the softer piece on the outside.

SAM: UMM…I’ll try it.

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100 new foods

Baby peppers

baby peppers_FeedMeDearly

Once in a while I choose a horrible time to try new foods. This seemed like a perfect chance – the kids were all sitting in the living room quietly, waiting for me to bombard them with a plate of who-knows-what. Lauren was actually doing her homework, Emma was tired and practically falling asleep. The only eager and willing participant was Sam, who unsurprisingly was the only person to like these adorable little munchkin peppers. Just baby versions of the fully-grown orange, yellow and red peppers that you see in the store. If it weren’t for the seeds, which are a little harder to remove, I’d get these more often.

ME: Guys!

EMMA: [groans] This is peppers. 

ME: Well, they’re not just regular peppers. Look at them, they’re called… they’re Baby Peppers.

SAM: Are they spicy?

ME: They’re babies. They’re not spicy.

ME: Who wants to try one?

LAUREN: OK…

SAM: I’ll try!

ME: You want to try a red one?

LAUREN: Which one are you going to try?

ME: Which one am I going to try? Maybe an orange one.

SAM: I’ll try a yellow one.

ME: Do you think that they’re going to taste like the regular?

SAM: No.

LAUREN: Yeah.

ME: Let’s see…

EMMA: I’m not tasting one.

ME: Yeah, those are all of the seeds inside.  It’s in a little pod. How cute!

LAUREN: I didn’t eat the bottom. [laughing]

ME: …eat around the seeds. What do you think?

SAM: EWW. 

ME: Did you get a bite of seeds?

SAM: The seeds look scary.  (To his credit, the seeds in a baby bell pepper do look a little insect-like)

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100 new foods

Pattypan squash

pattypan_FeedMeDearly

There were lots of colorful descriptions (thankfully PG) of pattypan squash this week. There was some debate, some tasting, and for the first time in weeks….a hit, a hit everyone! We’ve got ourselves a winner. Despite not enjoying zucchini and yellow squash (except in noodle form), pattypan was a success. Which goes to show that with kids, introducing a vegetable with a funny shape and an even funnier name is half the battle. I don’t often include the audio but when it’s a good discussion, I can’t help but share it, so be sure to click the audio link below if you want to hear the conversation live.

SAM: What’s that?

ME: What do you think it is?

LAUREN: I know what it is. I think it’s a tomato.

ME: Do you guys all want to hold it?

EMMA: I wanna hold it!

ME: OK, don’t fight over it. Lauren’s first. Lauren?

EMMA: [crying]

ME: She’s going to pass it to you next.

ME: What is it?

SAM: No, I’m next!

LAUREN: Smells like some green.

ME: Smells like a green?

LAUREN: Yeah.

ME: OK. Who’s holding it next?

SAM: ME ME ME!

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100 new foods

Watercress

watercress_FeedMeDearly

First, can I get something off my chest? I have five fingers, just like most people. I do not have a pig trotter in place of a left limb as this picture suggests. And now that I think of it, manicures for animals could make for an interesting business plan. Under the gun to get dinner on the table and snap a quick pic of our mystery food challenge, I didn’t realize how trotterish my hand looked until I went to edit the picture this morning. Thank you for letting me clear that up, now let’s move on.

Not everyone loves watercress. I get it. It’s got a little attitude, a little bite. And it tends to show up to parties uninvited. My husband’s order at his favorite Mexican Restaurant? “Chicken burrito, hold the watercress”. In his mind, watercress ruins everything. I respectfully disagree, but thought that I’d give the kids the chance to weigh in.

Their response was not surprising.

ME: OK guys, we have a new mystery food tonight. What is the green thing called?

LAUREN: Lettuce.

SAM: Brussels sprouts.

ME: No, it’s not Brussels sprouts, it’s not lettuce. What you think it is?

EMMA: I don’t know.

ME: Have you seen it before?

LAUREN: (laughing)

ME: Sam always likes his greens.

(Emma ignores the watercress and picks up some sausage on her plate)

ME: We’re not trying the sausage yet. We’re only trying the green thing right now.

LAUREN: Eeeew.

ME: Wait, Sam likes it right? I love it. I love it so much.

SAM: It’s kind of spicy right?
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100 new foods

Yellow squash

yellow squash_FeedMeDearly

The kids have had zucchini before and while they don’t love it cubed, the girls love zucchini spiralized noodles. I thought that yellow squash would be a hit but I made a few mistakes, namely 1) cooking it first (they tend to like to try things raw for the first time), and 2) choosing dinner time (our mystery food almost always happens separately from mealtime when they’re not distracted). But isn’t that how most people introduce new foods to their kids – cooked and at dinnertime? Something to consider for those of you struggling with your picky eaters… Switching up the format can make all the difference.

ME: What is this yellow vegetable right here?

SAM: Zucchini.

ME: It’s kind of like zucchini, but it’s not.  What is it Lauren?

LAUREN: Yellow tomatoes?

ME: No, it’s not yellow tomatoes. 

EMMA: I don’t want to try!

ME: Emma, just leave it on your plate if you don’t want it. I’ll eat it later.

SAM:  Is it a pepper?

ME:  It’s not a pepper.  It’s a yellow squash.

LAUREN: I was gonna guess that!

ME: It kind of looks like zucchini, but it’s yellow.  Ok.  What does it smell like; the yellow squash? 

EMMA: Lalalalalalalalal

ME: Emma?  It’s ok. You don’t have to eat it.

SAM: It smells like rotten cheese.

ME: OK. What do you think, Lauren?

LAUREN: It just fell in my lap! That’s a hot burning squash on me!

ME: Are you ok?  Did it drop down? Did you burn yourself?

EMMA: It’s Hot!

ME: So why don’t you guys smell it?

LAUREN: I did already.

ME: What do you think it smells like?

LAREN: Cheese.

ME: You think it smells like cheese, too?  What do you think it smells like, Emma?

EMMA: It smells like garbage.

ME: Ok.  Is that nice or not nice?

SAM: Not nice.

ME: That’s not nice.  Do we say those things at the dinner table?

SAM: I think rotten cheese smells like raw cheese.

ME: Yeah, well that’s why they call some raw cheese stinky cheese.

EMMA: Mommy!

ME: What?

EMMA: This smells like….this smells like a butterfly.
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