Foodie Kids? Food and Kids
Yesterday morning Nathan came downstairs wondering what smelled so good.
Tim: "Mama's making pot roast."
Nathan: "Can I have some FOR BREAKFAST?"
Sorry kiddo. As soon as he got home from school, the first question out of his mouth: "Is the pot roast ready yet??" And when dinner was finally on the table, he was thrilled, carefully dipping his meat, potatoes and carrots into his mug of gravy (gravy on the plate? don't be silly) and then drinking the remains.
Nathan will routinely ask for savory dinner food for breakfast, often has opinions on how we should season our meal (lemon and rosemary chicken of course Mama) and is always happy to help plan out his school lunch. It probably helps that we ask his opinion on these things.
Liam, it turns out, loves to wander around the spice store, smelling the jars and thinking about what can be made with the things he smells. On a recent visit to Penzeys he took a big sniff of a cake spice.
"What does it smell like?"
"Licorice"
Wouldn't you know - the second ingredient was star anise. It probably helps that I'm willing to let my three year old wander around a spice shop smelling things...
Of course, none of this is to say that our kids aren't picky eaters. Nathan can turn up his nose at something he hasn't even tried like the best of them, and Liam routinely sits at the table insisting he just wants cracker and peanut butter (or hot dog or chocolate ice cream). But I hope that we are at least instilling in them an interest in good food, in getting to know flavors, and that someday they will be adventurous cooks and eaters.