In my house, we have several different styles of eaters. Jason eats pretty much anything, and he likes almost all of it. I’m a somewhat picky eater, but I usually try to stay away from the things that I don’t like while still making sure that my family eats a variety of healthy foods. Jonas eats a huge variety of foods. He doesn’t like a few foods (like many types of pasta), but he eats so many foods that both Jason and I enjoy. Kael and Asa tend to be cautious eaters. They often assume that they don’t like something. Many times I hear, “I don’t like that. What is it?” That used to drive me nuts, and it still does from time to time. However, at some point in September, I had a revelation.
“They” often say that it can take a person 15+ exposures to a food before that person decides whether or not he or she likes the food. I don’t meal plan in a way that would demonstrate that. I choose new foods all the time. I like the flavors in Mexican food, Indian food, Italian, American…
I’m sure that’s fine as long as it’s working for everyone. Unfortunately, it was not working for us. Jason and I were doing alright. Kael and Asa were not. They were eating fruits, vegetables, breads, and some other side dishes. They were not touching many most of the main dishes I made.
I decided that instead of trying new foods all the time with a rare staple thrown in I would make one meal plan for a month. Every Monday we would have the same meal. Every Tuesday would be the same, etc. etc. for a month. In addition, I decided to make foods that were more familiar and like things they were already interested in eating.
For the last month, this has been our supper meal plan:
Monday: Kael’s choice
Tuesday: Chili, bakery break, spaghetti squash
Wednesday: Asa’s choice
Thursday: Tacos mixed with black beans and rice, whole grain rice with tomatoes and black beans
Friday: Chili Mac, roasted and fresh cauliflower, carrot and raisin salad
Saturday: Slow cooker taco soup, salad, rice
Sunday: Pot roast, roasted green beans, bread
I’m sure it’s not a miracle cure, and there are definitely days when supper is a flop. I’m hoping that those days occur less and less often. Hopefully we will work our way back into my more traditional meal plan where we’re not on a repeating weekly schedule. Until then, though, I’m happy to see both Kael and Asa trying more foods at supper.
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