Veggie tales

As a child, I remember watching an episode of Electric Company in which the children were singing about not liking broccoli. So I told my mother that I did not like it either. She was surprised, as I had never actually had broccoli, and suggested that I try things before deciding and maybe not be so inclined to just agree with other people.

Good advice. Turns out I do, in fact, like broccoli And there have been times in my life when I have had to break from other people's opinion and follow my own path.

My daughter does not love broccoli. But she'll eat it. She's picky about a lot of things (must be careful here, sometimes she reads the blog) but food is not usually one of them.

My son, on the other had, who is far easier to please about everything else--can not eat vegetable without gagging.

I thought it was a fluke incident when I fed him green beans as a baby and he threw up all over me. Now that he's almost fourteen and still gags at the table, I decided to finally look into it.

Yes, I'm a great mom.

According to Kidshealth.org, we have about 10,000 taste buds. Until we are older and end up with about 5000--which would explain why things taste so much stronger when we are young and less so as we age. So strong tastes--like bitter veggies, are more powerful to children.

Then there is the psychological factor, poor kid. It's difficult, I imagine, to keep on trying something when your brain remembers throwing up the last time you ate it. Case in point, none of you will ever see me drinking Tequila. Ever. Again.

So--where does that leave my son? I'm still mean enough to put those foul veggies on his plate. And I still expect him to keep trying new things. But I also feel less bad about making him only have one bite of the ones he hates the most, and will continue to allow him to substitute an apple or applesauce at the dinner table without feeling like I am a pushover.

So, what foods did you hate as a child, but enjoy now?

*source used: http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/taste_buds.html