Re:New here- help with kids

April 18, 2010

Okay, we're not too NT, but I do like to introduce new foods to my kids

once in a while. It may sound completely counter-intuitive, but when I

want my kids to try something, I don't offer it to them. Instead, I just

eat it in front of them as a snack or whatever, totally enjoying it (but

not in a corny or over-the-top sort of way), and oblivious to their

attention. At my kids' particular ages (6 and 3), this piques their

curiosity. So, they might see me eating kim chi from the jar (I know I

could make it at home for much cheaper) several times and then finally

ask to try it. This doesn't guarantee that my kids will LIKE what I'm

eating, but they at least will give it an honest try without being

forced to (which doesn't really result in kids giving it an honest try

anyway). You'll have to mix it a up a little, and eat weird foods in

front of them which you think they'll really like (maybe an exotic type

of fruit) so they won't automatically associate this technique with

" yucky " food. HTH.

April 18, 2010

hi ,

this is the natural way that kids will want to try to eat foods!! Very

intuitive. Kids learn by copying from the people around them. At a later age,

they might get the logic when you tell them why it is good for them, but at that

young an age they just copy.

If they are still close enough to their bodily sensations, they will also be

able to make it clear if they need a particular food or not.

I just don't get where you want help?

have a lovely day,

Vera

>

> Okay, we're not too NT, but I do like to introduce new foods to my kids

> once in a while. It may sound completely counter-intuitive, but when I

> want my kids to try something, I don't offer it to them. Instead, I just

> eat it in front of them as a snack or whatever, totally enjoying it (but

> not in a corny or over-the-top sort of way), and oblivious to their

> attention. At my kids' particular ages (6 and 3), this piques their

> curiosity. So, they might see me eating kim chi from the jar (I know I

> could make it at home for much cheaper) several times and then finally

> ask to try it. This doesn't guarantee that my kids will LIKE what I'm

> eating, but they at least will give it an honest try without being

> forced to (which doesn't really result in kids giving it an honest try

> anyway). You'll have to mix it a up a little, and eat weird foods in

> front of them which you think they'll really like (maybe an exotic type

> of fruit) so they won't automatically associate this technique with

> " yucky " food. HTH.

>

April 18, 2010

I'll second that. I never tried to get my kids to eat anything much.

I buy the things I think they should eat, and that is what exists

in our house. But *I* have weird food tastes, and I indulge them.

So I would make everyone what they asked for, the I would

make " my plate " which would have stuff like anchovies and

crackers with goat cheese. Or a side of my special garlic/red pepper

sauce.

Here is what happens: first, everyone (including hubby) makes

fun of what I'm eating and how it smells. Then they start

asking for bites. And pretty soon I have to start making

more because they are eating it all up.

Also I rather openly disrespect food that I think is just

bad, in a culinary way. Food that is good from a culinary

point of view is usually decently good for you, oddly enough.

So like, well, cheap chocolate bars are just beneath

my notice and I point out that they don't even taste like

chocolate, for heaven's sake. And then I break out my GOOD

chocolate with the 70% cacao. Which makes me something

of a food snob, and my kids are turning into food snobs

too. Fast food tastes rancid and " chemical " to them, and

they dislike most candies. They won't eat non-Asian-style

rice either. She went to Europe and tasted European milk,

and now won't drink American milk because she says it

tastes weird.

My take is that most kids nowadays are like cats that

have been trained to eat dry cat food. They simply ignore

the taste of food, because most of what they get is just

*bad food*. It's food that is full of addictive substances and

makes you feel good, and masked with MSG and sugar,

but if you actually pay attention to the tastes it tastes

pretty weird. But kids have better taste buds than adults,

and once they start paying attention they can tell the

difference.

We tend to encourage this sort of " anti food " training in

this country by feeding the kids Lunchables and canned

Mac N Cheese. But in France one of the things is to introduce

young children to good, homemade food ... in preschool.

So the first step is to just wean kids into good, solid,

" real " food. A fried egg (homegrown, if you can get it),

over easy for breakfast, say. Good grains, if you do grains.

We don't do wheat, but we get the good Asian rice and

make a kind of homemade granola with good oats and chia.

Sourdough. And lots of good stirfry, which is just easy and quick.

Anyway, fermented foods fit right into this. I put potatoes

in the bottom of a cassarole dish, cover with kraut, then

bake til the potatoes are done. Then put some good

bratwurst on top and bake again til the brats are nice

and crispy on top. Then serve with a good mustard. This

is actually one of the family's " favorite dishes " .

You can also use kraut as a flavoring agent in regular

salads, like cole slaw. Or kraut juice. It tastes like vinegar,

only better. Kraut and kimchi juice are used that way in

good restaurants.

On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 12:19 AM, <rachel@...> wrote: