Both my boys will eat just about everything. Some of their favorite foods include pine nuts, fruit, spinach and whole wheat pasta. I know that this is not the case for many kids in America. I have listened to so many of my friends share their frustration over their picky eaters and the "4 things" that their kids will eat. Anthony and I have intentionally raised our boys with adventurous palettes and a love for good food which makes things much easier as we move through the years. There are so many big and little steps towards creating this perspective - all of which I will share in a book I'm writing and through the services that Nourish provides. Tonight though, I was amazed at what a simple bowl of beautiful fruit can do.
I stopped at Trader Joe's after my last appointment and bought some groceries before picking Kai up from school. When we got home, Kai helped me unload the groceries form the car. One of his favorite things to do is to line up the pantry items in an organized fashion...I have no idea where he gets this from. He was really in the flow of the task and I was enjoying the stillness of sharing the chore with him. It was fun. I had purchased an amazing box of local peaches and was putting them in a big wide glass bowl to ripen on the counter - that's when Kai saw them. He immediately said "can I have one?" I gave him one that was already ripe from the refrigerator drawer and he took a big bite. He was so expressive with his Mmmmm's and ahhh's and finally just said "I love peaches!" He polished it off and had one more before he was satisfied.
He then asked, still in the flow, if he could help make dinner. He had seen me unloading the cauliflower and was now craving it. So we cut the cauliflower up, he spread it on the cookie sheet, sprinkled it with salt, pepper, olive oil, and parmesan cheese and roasted it (not before putting his chef hat, apron, and oven mitts on...its all about the costume).
These of course are some of my most treasured moments. Time with one of my favorite people doing one of my favorite things.
As soon as Max and Daddy got home Max crawled up to the counter, grabbed a peach and ate it (Max doesn't ask first). It is the simple things - like displaying the beauty of a fresh batch of peaches in a glass bowl that no one can resist....not even kids. If we put it out there like its a prize and eat it, enjoy it, and savor it ourselves, they will too. And once that sweet yummy juice starts running down their face they want to feel that satisfaction again, and again. I know its simple. But I almost always put a bowl or a plate of a beautiful fruit of some kind on the counter, the lunch or dinner table and just watch them explore. No "eat your fruit." No need to make it a challenge, just make it a habit and model the behavior. It might not catch on right away but some night you'll be surprised when they unconsciously grab a slice, have a bite or ask for more.
It's in these small but impact full places where we can educate and create a nourishing environment for ourselves and our families. Don't underestimate the small spaces that can be created in an evening with a chore, a bowl of fruit and of course, a meal.
Some other "fruit fun" we have that you may want to try;
Slice up oranges and have fun making giant orange smiles together around the table
Big bowl of grapes is just to hard for little fingers to pass up
Raspberries are so much tastier when eaten off all 10 fingertips
Bananas with peanut butter spread on them are such sticky yumminess
When you can't do the fresh local fruit that is just so much better....Costco has pre-packaged organic apple slices that are great little snack packs
Use an apple slicer on a pear and have perfect size slices
.......may it be a fruitful weekend!
