Give the Picky Eater – Some Steak!?

“Are there any food groups you just don’t eat?”

A pained look of anxiety landed on my face.

“Vegetables,” Catelyn shuddered at the thought of vegetables and shifted in her paper gown.  We were at the doctor’s office for her well visit and next round of immunizations.

And we were in the throes of my least favorite part of the visit.

My kids diet.

“No vegetables, huh?  How about fruits.  Do you eat any fruits?”

The little hopeful part of me started cheering in my brain, “C’mon, Cate!  Tell her you eat fruit!”

“Um, I guess I eat a banana sometimes.”

I smiled and sat up in my chair.

“Alright, bananas.  Okay.  Anything else?”

“No, not really.”

“How about protein?  Do you eat any protein?”

I slouched a little and peeked at Cate.

“No, no protein.  I will eat chicken wings at this one restaurant we go to but that is it.”

“Dairy?  Do you eat any dairy?”

I started to rub my forehead.  Catelyn shrugged.  “Not really.”

“Wait!  Sometimes you will eat the cotton candy squeezable yogurts!” I offered.

The doctor finally looked excited, “Great!  There is dairy and a bit of protein in there!” And made a note in Catelyn’s chart.

“Catelyn has a very limited diet,” I said, “If food is served she doesn’t like she just won’t eat.”

“What would you say she eats?”

“She likes waffles, pancakes, Nilla Wafers, French fries – but only a certain kind.  She will eat pizza – but only from certain places.  Vanilla ice cream.  Froot Loops dry,” and not sure if this was going to help or hurt, I added the final food, “Packages of ramen noodles?  I think that’s it.”

The doctor nodded, “Just make sure you give her a multivitamin every day, so she is getting all those nutrients she is missing with food.”

I agreed.  The appointment moved on.

 

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.

I live in a household of picky eaters.

Each person (including my husband) will only eat about ten different items.

Of course, they are all different items.  No two people eat the same thing.  Every night I make five different dinners.

Such is life in a house of sensory issues.  I’m okay with it.  I know that every one of them would and has chosen to not eat anything than to eat something they find offensive.

I like them to eat.  And I hate throwing out food I know they won’t.

Through the years I have tried different tactics to get the kids to try a new food.  I talked about those ideas here and here.

In hindsight now I can tell you the biggest influence on my kids’ diet has been their friends.

If they go to a friend’s house they are introduced to new foods.  Bobby is the most likely to try a new food AT a friend’s house.

Catelyn is the most likely to take the idea of new food item home and ask me to cook it for her.

Which is how we landed on a steak.  A friend had told Catelyn of the wonderous steak and sold the idea on her.  Steak was a new food that Catelyn wanted to try.

Again, none of us eat steak.  I went to the store and picked one out.  I googled how to cook it. I have to say – I impressed myself!  Gordon Ramsey look out!  Then she sat down to eat.

Pre steak

Post steak

It turns out Catelyn doesn’t like steak.

Although I think the puppy would 😊

Catelyn tried another food item.  That’s the good news.  And we will keep plucking away at different foods in hopes to find that number eleven item to add to her food list.