Photo credit RyanMcGuire on Pixabay
by Carie Moore
All these moms I know are on-point with their picky eater posts. I’m right there with them. I HATE wasting food. (It’s one perk of having a dog, I guess.) It’s a mix of ingenuity and frustration, and frankly some people amaze me and to them I give a high five.
As moms, your choices tend to revolve around your kids. Food, homes, vehicles, schedules, and whatever else they throw at us.
But let’s talk about those who shall not be spoken of for a minute and their food choices. I know there are more of you out there with me, especially those of us TRYING to eat better.
I’m talking about “the man.” You know, the ones stuck on frozen pizza, fast food nuggets, gas station short order, and caffeinated beverages.
I can get my kids to eat pretty much anything if I don’t tell them what it is. But you can’t sneak anything past “the man.” When you’re trying to get everyone to eat the wheat noodles, changing up the meats to turkey once in a while, adding hidden veggies, and doing the stuff we do as moms, there’s always “the man” who sells us out.
They will pick out the tiniest onions or celery, and say, “What are these?” And Tater Tots aren’t supposed to be made from corn. As the mom, you shake your head because now the kids refuse to eat the foods they used to eat, all because the one who has been gone in the field is now home to reveal all your deep food secrets.
Now “the man” in our house is extra special. He came from a family that had eight at the dinner table. Leftovers were rare. At our house with a table of 4-5, there are leftovers. When you’re trying to get kids to eat healthier and have leftovers and someone else is making another meal, well, let’s just say the battle continues on.
We can persuade kids in many different ways with creativity and Pinterest, but the men, ughhh, that’s a battle I don’t know how to win.
Sure, I love a good hotdish, tacos, and the farmhouse standard go-to meals. We do still have them, but with all the variety and choices we do have, I want to utilize those as well.
With the proper mix of love, doughnuts, hugs, taco pizza, kisses, and vegetables, we will prevail mommas. Hang in there!