One of my biggest goals when it comes to cooking and my kids is to raise non-picky eaters. That is much easier said than done though! Despite all of our best efforts, a few of our kids still tend toward the picky side, especially when it comes to textures of certain foods.
Even knowing that, I don’t let it deter me from making things I know won’t be a hit with everyone. My philosophy is: “if you don’t want to eat it, you have to at least try it.” I do not make separate meals to accommodate a picky eater ever. I figure they’ll either grow to like it, learn to tolerate it, or know when they should eat a bigger lunch! And surprisingly, none of us have starved yet.
Over the years, I’ve forced myself to stick to that philosophy with myself as well. There are definitely some foods I don’t like. Raw tomatoes and onions are the first that come to mind. However, I didn’t want to not expose our kids to them just because I didn’t like them. So both raw tomatoes and onions play a large roll in my kitchen.
For the most part, I’ve learned to like them or at least tolerate them. I will admit that there are occasions when I push some of those offending items to the side of my plate though. I try to be discreet. Every so often I’ll get called out and I push myself to use those times as a learning opportunity. I teach by example and take a bite or two, just like I expect the kids to do.
It’s not always easy, especially when I’m pregnant and the thought of biting into a cherry tomato makes my skin crawl, but it’s for the greater good. I hope to raise children that are adventurous, healthy and not too picky eaters. And that starts with me leading the way.
Do you cook with foods that you don’t like? And how do you handle the picky eaters in your house?