Don't Be Picky!

Ryan, Ben, and I just returned from Chick fil a, where we had a delicious family dinner night.  So good.  We rarely eat out (because my cooking is so darn good!) so it was nice to not have to prepare, cook, and clean up after ourselves.  As I was downing my 12 piece nugget with Polynesian sauce and french fries, I started thinking, "hmm, this is really freakin' good.  If Ben ever gets hold of this stuff, he'll probably refuse to eat anything else."  Which leads me into one of my worst parenting fears:  The Picky Eater.

Ben, please oh please, don't be a picky eater!  Don't be one of those kids who refuses to eat anything but white bread and peanut butter.  Or plain pasta and butter.  Or worse yet, fast food.

How does one create in their child a picky eater?  Is it poor parenting?  Bad luck?  I want to understand so I can avoid the situation.  Is there anything I can do to prevent it?  It seems the fast food situation is pretty easy to solve.  If you never give them fast food from day 1, you'll never be put in the situation where "that's all he'll eat!"  Such a lame excuse.  I will not give Ben fast food, not even that of the delicious Chick fil a variety.  But what about the other part of being a picky eater?  I've known kids who would flat refuse to eat anything but peanut butter and white bread (and other similarly bland food combinations).  Did their parents just give up on introducing new foods when they were toddlers?  Its all such a mystery.

Because I'm food crazy, I have been feeding Ben really odd combinations of baby food in hopes of creating an adventurous palate.  For instance, he had green bean oatmeal for breakfast this morning.  Prunes and peas.  Sweet potatoes and peaches.  You name it, I've combined it.  He's a very good eater and usually finishes his baby-sized portions of whatever concoction I give him.  Ryan will eat anything.  I will eat almost anything.  Here's to hoping Ben will as well!  (So long as its not processed!)

Here's Ben, munching on a leaf.  Already an adventurous eater!


Here are some pictures of Ben at Huber's from earlier this week.  He refused to crack a smile!