When I imagined One New Food a few months ago, I was super excited. I thought we had cornered the market on how to banish picky eaters from our homes forever! But usually all good ideas have been done before, and that is true in this case. Lauren and I learned this week of Jennifer Tyler, the creator of Crunch a Color. She’s authored a book and program called 52 New Foods Challenge, and we love her ideas and recipes. Check her out! It’s great to see so many parents introducing their kids to a variety of healthy, new foods.
So this week we chose mashed potatoes. What? You think this was easy? Every time I serve these they won’t even touch them! And this week was no different…well at first.
Lila was up first and actually ate 5 bites. She loves the camera by the way…it’s a great way to hold them accountable for trying.
Then it was her little sister’s turn…she’s a dickens too this one. She put one bite in her mouth and literally started gagging and dry heaving. Are you flipping kidding me? Did you see how much butter and salt I added to those decadent whipped potatoes? She got around trying her second bite by looking cute for the camera. Using the other end of the fork was a clear sign that those potatoes weren’t going down!
This week I was BLOWN away by a mom who introduced a mutant vegetable I’ve never even heard of to her kids! Romanesco? I’m scared to try it…Christy Murphy you are amazing!
Since I haven’t had too much success with potatoes other than sweet ones smothered in marshmallows, maybe I’ll try one of these fun ideas from Pinterest. They love it when I make shapes out of food!
As with any transition, it takes a few weeks to get your kids on board, but the results are worth it! Upload your photos to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using #OneNewFood…Good luck!
what will you try this week?
I got a little teary when you called her a dickens. My grandmother used to say that and I haven’t heard it in years. I’m with you on the potatoes; they make Eli gag too.
Aww…your grandmother and mine must have been friends! I find myself using all sorts of family terms…lol! Stinkpot is one my aunt used to use too!
Aw, too kind! Can’t wait for you to find & try Romanesco!
Since my hubby is Irish (actually from Ireland) you’d think my 2 year old would love potatoes but he gags with mash and only likes roasted sweet potatoes or yams (at least those are better for him). No amount of butter can convince him otherwise. Maybe it’s a texture thing with the mash? I wonder if I made a carrot puree if he’d react the same way because he loves carrots. I think I have my next challenge!
Oh boy – this is my favorite food! I can’t really get my kids to eat them, though. What’s up with that??
I know right? Me too…it’s comfort fall food and they won’t get on board!
after 15 years of “no thank you bites” and three out of four who will now eat anything I am looking forward to the day they are trying to get their kids to eat
Ha! Sounds like a grandma who will sit back and watch! And happy to hear that this too shall pass….
So many thoughts…
1) mashed potatoes… So classic, so not new (to me) and yet there is no way will my kids eat these! These are like the cake batter of root vegetables…why on earth won’t they eat it? Does texture matter so much? My son would eat anything with butter on it (maybe even Romanesca!) but also gags on mashed potatoes. Don’t get it. I am going to see if I can get them to help make it (peeling, chopping, adding milk and butter, whipping (hello, messy ahead) and test my theory about involving them more in prep to get them excited to try.
2) #52NewFoods- wow, that is a commitment. I am no math expert, but I know it is the same concept as 1 a week, but that would have intimidated me enough to not start. Thanks for breaking this challenge into bite-sized chunks! It is cool tho, they you have embarked on similar tracks and connected. Love to the hashtag…
3) dickens and grandmothers – Lauren, I did a double take, too! Our grandmother came here from England when she was seven, and had all kinds of cute Nan-isms. No British accent, but she would have loved Jamie Oliver, my Mom always says. My favorite food story of Nanny is how she used to transform grilled cheese by calling them ” cheese dreams”. Who wouldn’t want to eat that? Back before WWII, It was the first thing she ever made for our grandfather, and when she burned them, he ate them anyway and told her he liked them. #truelove
CHeese dreams? I would have liked your grandmother! Yes, I don’t get the mashed potato thing…maybe we need to start playing the wiggles!