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Stumblinman

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I made some pork steam buns tonight and couldn't for the life of me get my son to taste them.
For the record, he doesn't live with me regularly but I keep feeling like I let him down.
He's a fast food kid from his mother. I tell him he's eating beaks and feet for nuggets (lol my own revenge)
I was just wondering if any one out there had a procedure to allow fast food kids to eat real food.
I had my son tell me ewwww it looks nasty and there's green stuff in it.
 
Try letting him help with the cooking if possible. Take him shopping and let him pick out things that he would be willing to try.

Good luck

Hoss
 
Butter noodle babies are what I call them. No kids of my own but my nephew won't eat anything but chicken nuggets, buttered noodles and french fries, it is so aggravating to me. I grew up with a rule in the house, that rule was you have to try it, if you don't like it fine, but you have to try it at least once.
 
I would make fast food unavailable. When people are hungry enough, they will eat almost anything. Otherwise, you might be screwed. Good luck!
 
go for healthier kid friendly foods, fresh pasta and meatballs is one I use. I also take grilled chicken, with cheese and broccoli and wrap it in cressant roll dough, bake it and my daughter loves it.
 
I remove or eliminate any signs of green herbs and spices from the exterior of food that I serve my middle daughter. I also give her some option so she feels she has some power. Also, heavy grill or char marks are a no no for my little kids. We grow our own vegetables, they pick their own and will eat peppers, cukes, carrots and string bean raw, like an apple.
 
Devon is right on, in my experience. I have seven and eight YO girls. They eat everything. The ask for Sushi, but "no rice daddy." Makes me laugh. Sure mine have their hangups but my technique is vary their diet. The other day my girls said Daddy, it doesn't taste like you put anchovie in the spaghetti sauce? I said "sorry didn't have time," Daddy, can you put them on top anyway? No joke

Just beat them into submission is what I do. Also, hunger is very strong motivation. I would not hide greens or gimmick. Whats going to happen once the magic show is over. They will feel cheated. Celebrate food, thats what we do in my house hold. Jowls to soup, spicy and all. It also helps that they're pretty good garners and look forward to planting and harvesting crops too.
 
Devon is right on, in my experience. I have seven and eight YO girls. They eat everything. The ask for Sushi, but "no rice daddy." Makes me laugh. Sure mine have their hangups but my technique is vary their diet. The other day my girls said Daddy, it doesn't taste like you put anchovie in the spaghetti sauce? I said "sorry didn't have time," Daddy, can you put them on top anyway? No joke

Just beat them into submission is what I do. Also, hunger is very strong motivation. I would not hide greens or gimmick. Whats going to happen once the magic show is over. They will feel cheated. Celebrate food, thats what we do in my house hold. Jowls to soup, spicy and all. It also helps that they're pretty good garners and look forward to planting and harvesting crops too.

This guy +1
 
+2 to what Devin said. Getting a kid to help prep goes a long way to make them willing to try it. I have also handed my 8-yo girl a cookbook and told her to pick out something she'll eat. Can't say 'no' at that point ;) If the kid seems interested with prep and finding some recipes, then try giving the kid some cooking equipment of their own -- just basic stuff and maybe a knife :) It takes it a step further and promotes ownership of eating/food even more.

I have a similar situation. My 8-yo girl is quite picky now and has gotten much worse since living solely with mom. Her mother and I had completely different philosophies on eating when we were together, and it pissed me off to no end. She allowed touching a pea-sized portion of food on the tip of the tongue and not actually swallowing it as 'trying' it. The nice thing is that I took my daughter to sushi restaurants when she was 2-yo and she loves sushi. At least that stuck, and it is sooooo nice to have the 'homerun' as sushi.

k.
 
first i dont have any kids.

but i do have a couple second cousins. brats!! one kid wont eat a thing.

one time (also dim sum) he wouldnt eat something.and was being a complete ass about it. i snatched it off his plate, ate it, and acted like it was the best thing ever. my brother did it too. that kid just started eating it to spite us. he ended up admitting he like it.

good luck.

i guess you just cant starve them, no? hunger is the best spice!
 
Just inundate them with everything you can that isn't too spicy. Once you pull out the Uni a few times, they will think they will have died and gone to heaven when you roll out a piece of baked haddock with scallop potatoes and steamed asparagus. :hungry:


I believe by requiring them to try new foods, you'll be planting seeds in their psychie that will flourish in later years. If you can think back, its probably whats motivated many on this forum to make their way into a professional kitchen (sure aint common sense HA). Those early childhood tastes will haunt them in their later years. Hit them with everything, think about more like breaking a horse than teaching a kid something. They will hate you now but love you later. Remember, its takes more than just love to raise a child. Like starvation and unilateralism.
 
Only a few things to add. Getting involved in the prep work is generally a good way to demystify food and feel proud of something. However, it can backfire; shortly after getting married, I asked my 12-yr old stepson to help crush a can of tomatoes by hand for sauce. The texture was massively offensive to him to say the least, and it was a few years before he'd come back in the kitchen while I cooked. :) Getting involved in prep can be a gateway to it, but forcing it can relegate it to drudgery and resistance. You know your kid best, so make your call.

Start maybe a bit closer to home? I don't know yours, but steamed pork buns to this day are a bit of a mystery to me as to what's inside. Go back to the center of what he knows and push out from there. Kid likes hamburgers? Make them fresh at home, it'll crush the fast food experience. Chicken nuggets? Make yakitori skewers - the slightly sweet sauce ought to win them over. Gradually you can push out from what they know and they'll get more and more adventurous.

Lastly, some kids just come into it on their own. Palates and tastes change. Mine started paying attention to food when he was in high school and could cook ramen for himself. Maybe not the healthiest, but what he did was start experimenting with spices, hot sauces, and flavoring his ramen to his taste. I wasn't about to fuss about that exploration. Now, at 21, he's come around and is making smarter, broader food choices than he did as a teenager.
 
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