Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Introducing new food suggestions
While we were taking a walk last weekend, Heather asked why we don't eat at the Thai restaurant in our neighborhood. I told her that I really like the food but that daddy doesn't love it. And the last time we had it as a family, she and Todd wouldn't eat it.
She told me that she wants to try it again. (!) I want to take advantage of this, but I don't want to have a miserable meal where no one eats anything but me.
There is nothing on the menu that the kids will definitely eat (they don't do rice). I'm trying to figure out what easy foods to serve with it that will satisfy them if they don't like the thai food...but that won't totally distract them. (e.g. I won't serve a favorite like mac'n'cheese).
Does anyone have any great strategies for introducing a new food so that it really gets a fair shake from the preschool set?
Re: Introducing new food suggestions
I think Noah is more open to try if he helps pick it out. So maybe go over the menu with Heather - explain to her what the dishes are, and have her pick out the one that sounds the best to her.
I think I would build the meal around that main Thai dish - whatever that might be. (fruits and veggies that they may eat that compliment it? Another kind of side besides rice like quinoa or pasta?) And then if they really don't like it, but did give it a fair shot, I'd offer something easy like a pb&j sandwhich or a bowl of cereal to eat in addition to the sides.
Thanks, Amber, I hadn't even considered having Heather help me pick from the menu. Duh! Although that might lead her to not want to try anything...but if it gets her to try it that would be great.
Maybe I'll offer fruit, yogurt and bread as side dishes. If I offer pasta, Heather is too likely to fill up on that first...
I know this works for Keefer most of the time. Even if I let him help me with our weekly menu, grocery shopping, or picking veggies out of the garden, he is more likely to eat because he had a part in it. He will eat green beans if he helped me pick them but is much less likely to eat them if I just put them on his plate. I hope it works out for you!
-Abbey
We either call it something fun or call it something she knows. B likes Pad Thai because she likes the "pasta and vegetables". She also loves Satay Chicken because she has peanut butter dip dip. She will eat most things with broccoli (mickey mouse trees like on the clubhouse).
Too bad they don't do rice......B loves sushi and it's our go to when we want to go out to eat. She loves salmon, tuna, eel and shrimp sushi/nigiri or salmon/tuna-containing rolls
I agree with having Heather (or both kids) help with choosing. Select a few dishes based around foods they are likely to go for (noodles or certain veggies or peanuts), explain what all the ingredients are, and go from there.
You could also show them a map and point out where Thailand and sotheast Asia is and explain that you're having the food that is as common there are hot dogs and fries are here. Maybe that's a little cheesy but I think some kids would really get into that aspect of it...learning about other kids from around the world.
I wish. Heather is not fooled by names or by calling broccoli "trees". When she went through her "I love all ravioli" phase, we referred to lasagna as ravioli. No go. She doesn't care about dips either. The only new food I can count on her to try without suspicion is maybe a fruit.
The dipping might work for Todd...but I don't think he's ever eaten unbreaded chicken. But you never know...
My dd is not fooled by names either! Even giving general names don't fool her. She likes pasta and likes cheese. So for things like stuffed shells I tell her it's cheesy pasta and she will tell me it's not. Or sloppy joes. She liked hamburger and ketchup so I tell her it's really just hamburger with ketchup mixed in and she doesn't buy it.
I think you have a good plan. Ask for opinions on ordering and have some sides to go with it. If she is asking to eat there I think that's a good sign.