Picky Eating in Children

Do you remember as a child sitting at the dinner table with your family and feeling disappointed as soon as the plate was placed in front of you? Our parents worked hard to feed us (I hope), working, making sure we ate at all. But growing up as a fussy eater and regularly being served the things I couldn't bear was the thing that most baffled me. Kraft dinner was one of those dishes for me.

My parents did all they could because I was one of the unfortunate children in a low-income household. Seeing food go to waste was an awful outcome, but your parents made it the food knowing you didn't enjoy it.

It was a recurring theme. To the point where I didn't eat anything that night. I couldn't bear the stench, the noise of that squishy gross sound the noodles made with just a little movement, and the taste made me want to vomit. However, they continued to cook it. And it would be discarded the following day. Fortunately, my parents eventually stopped buying KD. There was no reason to when all the kids who liked it had moved out and the one kid who disliked it was too little to move out.

But that didn't stop my parents from cooking dishes they enjoyed but I didn’t like. I was a picky eater, and I couldn't eat things I despised. It wasn't the serotonin surge; it made me physically nauseous to eat anything my taste buds didn't approve of.

Now that I'm older, I wonder what the point is of forcing your child to eat foods they don't like. Obviously, there are some things you need in your body to keep healthy, but boiling broccoli the same way every day won't change how it tastes to someone.

Try a different recipe—and no, vegetables do not belong in brownies or smoothies—stop hiding veggies from your kid (This may erode your child’s trust). Experiment with other recipes for the item they dislike. It could be the way you cook it rather than the food itself.

However, if your child is anything like me, any variant of Kraft dinner makes me want to cry. Talk to your kids about the foods they enjoy eating—of course, they can't have ice cream every day. However, communicating and preparing food that everyone appreciates reduces the likelihood of waste.

When children grow up, they will not buy broccoli and boil it as you did. They will purchase foods they enjoy eating and explore new meals they have not tried before. So, why are you teaching your child to force themselves to eat foods they dislike?

Why not teach them diverse ways to cook things, and explore other options? It is selfish to prepare dishes that we enjoy but that others dislike. We would never do that to a guest, so why would we do it to your own family?

Here is a recipe I loved as a kid even though I had a small palette. Remember, if you do not like anything in the ingredients list, swap it out for something you do. Nothing must be exact.

Spinach Strawberry Walnut Salad

Ingredients 

• Baby spinach

• Strawberries

• Walnuts (or any type of nut)

• Strawberry salad dressing

No need to worry about measurements, add portions you feel are right.

Directions

• Add spinach to a large salad bowl and drizzle with the amount of salad dressing you desire.

• Gently toss to coat.

• Sprinkle dressed spinach evenly with strawberries, and walnuts.

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Cat .M — I've grown so accustomed to my nickname that if you addressed me by my full name, I wouldn't respond. But just for the record, my full name is Catherine. M I'll mostly talk about the world's problems, but I'll only do the bare minimum to fix them. Maybe it's a lack of motivation, but when all you hear is how bad the world is, you grow up not caring. I hope you find a little bit of positivity in my posts!

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Foraging in the Wild

Foraging is the act of looking for wild, edible, and safe foods to gather, eat, or farm. This was usually done as a way of survival, as the way to gather food in ancient times consisted of hunting, fishing, farming, and, last but not least, foraging.

Although there are many reasons why people turn to foraging in this day and age, for some, it`s the basic act of survival. For a few more, it`s a hobby. And for the rest who look to foraging, it`s a way of eating healthier.

So, what does a forager look for?

Foragers look for mushrooms, a common fungus that finds itself in their crosshair. While some mushrooms are nutritious and safe to consume, others aren`t as safe and, they can even be poisonous. Therefore, to forage them, one must have an in-depth knowledge of mushrooms, both edible and poisonous

Greens; consisting of lettuce, beats, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach, cabbage, and asparagus, are some of the foods considered when thinking of what a “green” is. These are completely edible, and while they can be found in the wild, some people have them growing in their gardens, while others have greens, unknowingly growing in their backyards. Unlike previous options for foods that can be foraged, greens have a great range of nutrients and vitamins that are, in essence, very healthy for our growth and well-being.

Elderberries

Berries and fruits are another source of food that finds itself in the forager’s path. As something many of us buy in store, it`s a food type that we know about, that we may even desire. While most of these berries and fruits are highly nutritious, have anti-inflammatory aspects, and are antioxidants, some berries and fruits could be dangerous for us. A great example of these dangerous look-alikes would be the edible elderberries, the mildly-toxic pokeberries, and the highly-toxic water hemlock berries.

Pokeberries

Water Hemlock Berries

Although there are other foods that can be foraged such as nuts, seeds, and roots, did you know that shellfish are also considered a foraged food source? Clams and mussels can be found near lakes and rivers. Although these are more reclusive and rarer to find, being at the right place, and at the right time, might yield you a great shellfish meal for the night.

There`s one last crucial point to make when thinking about foraging: the rules, both spoken and unspoken. These range from foraging safety to the common etiquette and behavior one should have when foraging.

Starting with the safety rules of foraging, if you don`t know what it is, don`t touch, taste, or take it. This is due to the reality that there are poisonous lookalikes in the wild, and while some will simply make someone sick, another could be the reason they die. Therefore, before venturing out into the wild to start your foraging journey, you should learn what foods are edible, the safety and precautions to take when entering the world of foraging, as well as learning the etiquette that should be used throughout your journey.

While out foraging, it`s important to be safe, but it`s just as important to be respectful. Littering and hoarding all that you find is a fireproof way of displaying disrespect. While we have other sources of food, others, such as animals for one, do not. It`s important to remember to only take what is needed, to leave some for other foragers, and the animals that live in the region. It`s important to safely prepare and use the foods that were foraged, and it`s important to share your knowledge with old and new members of the foraging world.

The foraging world is one filled with healthy foods, fresh air, enjoyment, exercise, respect, poisonous lookalikes, rural dangers, and wild dangers. But most importantly, it`s a way of life for some. After all of that, if you think you`ve got what it takes; what are you waiting for? Jump into the wild and prepare yourself for the beginning of a great foraging journey.

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Zackary Brunet is a year 2 Professional Writing student who adores reading and writing. An aspiring novelist, Zack can be found hiding in his room, headphones on with music blaring, his fingers typing away on his computer`s keyboard. If you can`t find him there, look for his gaming set-up, or look for his secret stash of food, and you`ll be sure to find him.