I am no Foodie

I am just not a foodie. I love food don't get me wrong. I mean, I gotta eat. But I am not one of those people who loves to watch people cook on TV. I don't watch the Food Network. Ever. I don't subscribe to cooking magazines or food magazines. I've never actually bought a cookbook. All the cookbooks I have were given to me as gifts. I do love them. I have tried new recipes because of them. I just can not (or don't) spend a lot of time thinking about food. It used to drive me crazy when my husband would call me from work at 8:30 in the morning and ask, "What's for dinner?"!! Huh?!? I'm thinking, "I haven't had 2 cups of coffee yet! I don't know what I'm eating for breakfast yet! Or when!"

Now, my husband has always been an adventurous eater. I have watched cooking shows because HE watches cooking shows. Gordon Ramsey is a favorite. For him, eating is an occasion to be savored. Always. He will eat anything once. It never fails to surprise me that he will eat the fish soup at any Chinese restaurant. He'll have no idea what's in it but he orders it and eats it all.

I read once that people view food in one of 3 ways. The one I remember is the one that best described my view of food. It's fuel. That's it. I must eat. I must eat so I can run a good race, keep up with James and most importantly, stay alive!!!

I suspect James is like me in that way. We talk about the nutritional facts for any and all foods whether it be vegetables or junk food. We talk about the different types of sugar. The sugar in fruit or milk is much better for you than the sugar in Sour Patch Kids. Tonight, for example, I baked spaghetti squash...for the first time! I can't believe I am 43 and just now discovering spaghetti squash. Well, I looked up the nutritional value of it and shared it with James as it was cooking. Tons of vitamin A and potassium. A fraction of the calories of regular spaghetti from a box. And just as fun!!
                                            

James is clever. I think he realizes that I am more discriminating than his Dad when it comes to food and trying new things. Tonight as we sat to eat said spaghetti squash I reminded James that this was also MY first time eating it. We kept it simple. Salt and butter for flavor.  I didn't say much while I ate but then James said, "I like it because it doesn't taste like anything." I agreed, "Yeah. I think mine needs a little more salt" and reached for the sea salt grinder on the table. He responded with, "I think I want a little more salt too". Chris gave him one turn of the grinder over his squash.

I don't know the outcome of dinner at this point. He got sent to his room right before I had to run out the door to go to work. He was burping on purpose and slurping his milk. He would not even let the crab cakes I made sit on his plate. I am OK with that. He has been extremely consistent about not eating meat (except chicken nuggets). That is going to take some time.  He also turned up his nose at the green beans. So! Spaghetti squash for dinner!

Baby steps. Healthy attitude towards food. Those are my goals.

Aquatic Adventures

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No More Short Order Cook.

I decided that James will eat whatever we eat for dinner. It's time. No more cooking a dang grilled cheese every single night. So last night I made baked chicken and broccoli over pasta. James cried like I slapped him when I put his plate in front of him. My husband got crafty tonight after I left for work. He cut up the chicken into shreds, melted some cheese over it and put on pita bread. James ate 3 bites. And afterwards:

Chris: "Thanks for trying it James."

James: "Thanks for making me eat it."

What?!?! That's right. He thanked his Dad for making him eat something he has heretofore refused to even let sit on his plate.

Tonight, as I went downstairs to start dinner, James asked to help. He wanted to know what we were having. Salad and kale ravioli with marinara sauce. He wanted to know what kale tasted like and I told him we had some in the frig. Next thing I know, he is in there searching for kale! He wants to take a bite of it. Taste it. He did it twice! He seemed even a little eager to try the ravioli. I told him it had cheese and kale inside and it's made with wheat pasta on the outside. He says, "Whole wheat pasta?!? I like that!". Now you tell me!

Here is James with his plate presented to him. See how apprehensive he is? All he has on the plate are carrots, cucumber slices and ONE ravioli. Marinara on the side. Water to drink. (If I give him milk, he will chug it and be full.)

We talked for a bit about the food on his plate and he is smiling and excited. What if he ate the whole entire ravioli??? He says, "I could have brownies for dessert!" I told him, "If you ate the whole thing, Daddy would totally take you to the DQ." I was dead serious and he knew it. His sweet face lit up like the twelfth of July (that's his birthday). He took one GOOD bite and chewed. It was not his favorite but he drank some water and took another bite. He would not try the marina. I tried to tell him it would make it taste even better. He was having no part of it. (honestly, he never liked the pasta with tomato sauce in baby food either) He is not a dipper. Won't even put gloriously delicious real maple syrup on his pancakes. What the world? 

In the end, he ate 5 bites of the ravioli and ate all his vegetables. That was the deal. And let me tell you, he is a negotiator. He negotiated until it was time for me to go to work. 30 minutes. He can wear you down if you aren't mentally prepared for it. He is a strong-willed child. I will love that later. I didn't love it today.

It has just occurred to me that James has been a PILL these last 2 days because he knows he will have to eat something new at dinner. So the rest of the day he has been defiant and contrary...about every little thing! It has not been fun. It was so bad yesterday that I cancelled an outing for today. And grounded him from the computer. He got sent to his room at least 5 times today for being disrespectful and defiant. 

I love him so much. One day he will understand it better. He will see it with his adult eyes. Sometimes we play a game called "What was the worst part of your day? What was the best part of your day?". Yesterday we read his entire book of mythological monsters. That was the best part. That happened at 8:30 in the morning. Today? Watching him take little steps to becoming a Big Kid. I had the chance to give him praise today. To tell him that I am SUPER SUPER proud of him for trying new food. There is a part of me that thinks he wants me to push him to this...because he won't do it by himself. He knows I care about him and his future. I don't want him to be some 60-year-old dude who only eats grilled cheeses for lunch and dinner. No way. If he does become that guy, it won't be for lack of having tried new food. And he'll still be expected to eat what I cook when he comes to visit!