Juggling food

Q: What's the best way to juggle your food?

A: Keep throwing up!



So, anyone who has spent any significant meal time with me knows I am a relatively picky eater. I don't know how to account for why I am that way, I just am. Childhood eating habits? Parental influence? Bad taste buds? Over/under-developed sense of texture? No idea. But I know what I like, and what I don't like, and I don't want to eat stuff I don't like.

My mom and grandparents tried (maybe too hard) to get me to eat stuff, but if I tried it already and didn't like it, that was it. I'd point blank refuse no matter what the consequences. Sit at the table for hours? Fine. No dessert? Fine. I guess it's good that I wasn't beaten or anything, I'm sure I was pretty frustrating to deal with. I can certainly be stubborn.

So, perhaps my mother knew this would happen. Perhaps not, but you never know. But years later, I find the tables turned, and now I'm the parent with a picky child. A stubborn, picky child. A child who only eats what he wants and is very, very reluctant to try new things. I believe that this must be the truest definition of comeuppance I have ever witnessed. At times, this has driven me absolutely bonkers.

One recent example has been pasta. Thurman and Nico love pasta. I like it, Carma likes it. It's one of the few family meals where there's not "exceptions" occurring on the table. However, Thurman decided at one point that he only likes Rigatoni. No spaghetti, no ziti, no angel hair, no shells. Only Rigatoni. Logic didn't work. (It's the SAME!) Threats either. (Well, ok, I didn't really threaten him. But I kind of wanted to.) Stubborn is as stubborn does.

But really, if anyone has the right to complain about the situation, it's Carma. Between me and Thurman, she hardly ever gets to eat what she wants. Hopefully Nico will remain untainted by pickiness. If nothing else, she can always call her sister to commiserate (she also has a picky husband). It was around this point that Carma decided she was going to take control. She talked to Thurman and discussed with him a New Food plan. The New Food plan is relatively simple. Thurman agreed to try two new foods every week, minimum of one bite. If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to finish it. He has a rating system on which to grade all his new foods (thumbs up, thumbs diagonal up, thumbs sideways, thumbs diagonal down, thumbs down). Anything that is thumbs diagonal up or better can become family meal options. Carma also told me I'd be trying new foods as well.

At first, I kind of had my doubts. But you know, it's actually working. Granted, we're a little bit lenient on what a "new food" is. (Cheeseburger without cheese, chicken without barbecue sauce, etc.) On our recent trip to Utah for Emily's wedding, Thurman actually tried four new foods, including chicken at an Indian restaurant. He seemed to be proud of the fact that he was so far ahead of schedule, which bodes well for the new plan. I gave my word that I'll try my best too, if nothing else to set a good example for Thurman and let him know he's not alone. But I'm hoping I can start small too. Maybe french fries without ketchup or something.