Wednesday, January 15, 2014

more on the food thing....

Two more notes about the food thing and then I'll shut up.

(Lenora and Sophie's favorite dinner...like they cheer when I say it's what we're having)


I feel like I've posted this before but because I'm lazy and do not feel like digging through my archives (that's what tags are for, aren't they!? oh well.)
I'm posting it again because on my last food post several people noticed my little quip about 

"Lenora and Sophie finishing dinner in under 2 hrs".

Everyone has their own opinion about food and it's very very personal.
This is just what we do and it's very very personal to us.
SO....if you have your own opinion, get your own blog.
(can you say, feisty!?  I miss someone.)

(speaking of that, he is soooo much better at sticking to his guns with this whole food thing - I tend to be a pushover and get all worried inside that we are causing the girls to have 'food issues' later in life - he is concerned with the moment - I'm sure it's good to have balance but I still say he's better at this - he would be the better person to share this!)

WHAT WE DO WITH OUR PICKY EATERS:

I serve meals, you eat that meal.
It's food.
It's very very good for you.
God provided the job -that provides the money -that provides the food.
The food came from God.
Sometimes it's going to taste good to you, sometimes it's not.
It is not always about taste.
It is ALWAYS about thankfulness.
If you don't like it, that's ok, but you will still eat enough to show that you are thankful.
Thankful enough that you'll take care of your body.
Thankful enough to show the cook you are thankful.
Thankful enough to even have the option to not like it.
Thankful enough that we have the food.
Thankful.

Lenora and Sophie are our tough ones and several months ago we instated some 'timed' rules.

You get 30 min's to finish dinner, with a good attitude.
You don't finish it and/or your attitude stinks?
You get it for breakfast, with another 30 min. timer.
You don't finish it then, you get the meal a third time, with a third timer.
You don't finish it then, you just don't finish it but it's ok, because it's dinner again anyway and there's probably something else on your plate you won't like and the lesson can continue.
We keep the portions small so it's not overwhelming to actually accomplish this.

No yelling. No threatening.  No constant reminders to, "Eat your food!!!!" 
(we were getting REALLY tired of hearing ourselves say that!)

Jake's philosophy (the hard one for me, but I know it's right.).

THEY WILL EVENTUALLY GET HUNGRY AND EAT WHATEVER IS IN FRONT OF THEM.
They really really will.

It will be harder on you to watch it happen than it ever will be to them!

Most of us are so spoiled to think that our kids will suffer and get diseases from missing a few meals.
Or even have lifelong food issues.  Months and months or years and years of missing meals yes, a few days?  And I don't mean 'days without food' I just mean a few meals here and there.
(verdict for my theory is still out there because...well...my kids are still kids...we are not experts, this is just what we do because...well, we just do!)

Also.  We used to do 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.
With the introduction of Paleo style eating to our family, that is no longer necessary.
I am very careful to make sure they get a sufficient amount of protein and fat with whatever we're having.  That way they stay satisfied until the next meal.
We now do 3 meals a day and if they need a pick me up in the afternoon it's fruit or fruit.
Once a week or so, the crackers get broken out, but it's not a regular 'thing'.

It's really helpful, when working with a picky eater, if they are actually hungry at meal time and haven't snacked all day!  (again, Jake's strength, not mine!)

So.
We rarely have to do this anymore...by the way.
I'd say we did it hard core for maybe a month.  Maybe.
Kids are smart.
Loved kids are quick to learn.

They are still picky.
But not as picky.
And now, they will eat whatever is in front of them.
With a good attitude.
(and the occasional time they relapse, we just set the timer and, miraculously, they start eating!!)

And because there attitude is so good, I can praise them for being thankful for their food and their bodies and then sometimes, just sometimes, whisk their food away so they don't have to finish torturing themselves.
I don't do that all the time or even often, but it's fun when I do.

It's also fun to see them learning.
WEEKLY, because of this tactic, they announce that they do in fact 
LIKE something they used to DETEST.

Peas, spaghetti squash, soups, chili, stews, lettuce, green beans....and I could go on.

So. That's it.
Maybe that will help.

My biggest encouragements are: 
Don't give up.
I do believe pickiness can be overcome and true pickiness is rude. 
(I know, I just offended like 1/2 of you and the other 1/2 are hootin' and hollerin'....like I said, food is very very personal!)
Whatever creative system you come up with for your family, 
make sure it's calm/loving and you stick to it hard core for about a month.
All day, every day, every meal.

Ok....go.

AND...I can't believe I forgot this on my last food post but oh my goodness...I have been making 
weekly now for about six months.
I make several pounds of it at a time and after we eat it for dinner once a week, I cut it up and we all eat it all week long.
By itself, in salads, in tortilla/sandwich roll up things, etc....
I think I forgot it because it's so 'normal' around here.
I follow the recipe exact - brining and all.
IT'S SOOOOOO YUM!!!!!!!

it's great grilled and baked, by the way.
we grill it in the summer and I've been baking it now that it's winter.
equally good and sooo convenient.
One dinner a week is always known and all of my lunch protein is taken care of in one swoosh!

swoosh....


2 comments:

Becca Busenitz said...

Very well said. I know this is a stickler with me and I have to guard against kids in my home who (I think) are rude and don't eat but them are given full access to dessert. I have to remind myself that I'm not there parent and I can't judge the parenting. Food is such a personal thing.

Courtney Cassada said...

i love this. every single bit. eat what you get. be thankful. no snacks except fruit. yes, yes, yes!!