Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Have you ever wondered what goes through the mind of a picky eater? What makes them judge a food before they have tried it?! Why does their stomach lurch just at the thought of a food?! What makes them open up to new flavors, tastes and food experiences? If you have ever wondered ‘What can I say, do, share, or encourage?’ with someone you know that has very selective and unique food preferences, you are not alone!
“I will not eat them in a house, I do not like them with a mouse, I do not like them here or there. I do not like them ANYWHERE! I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them Sam-I-am…Try them, try them, and you may! Try them and you may, I say. ”
― Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs, and Ham
Have you ever had a similar exchange?
Green beans. That is the only non-starchy vegetable that my husband ate when I married him 10 years ago. Canned green beans, not fresh. Really. While we were dating, he ate a lot of family meals at my house and gradually transitioned to eating more whole grains, beans, and unprocessed potatoes, but he refused to try any different vegetables. That was just the way it was. My nutrition-loving self loved him anyway. He stole my heart and we married and moved 15 hours away from everything and everyone we knew. Then, as our first year of marriage began to unfold, I realized the challenge before me. It wasn’t like someone just pulled the rug out from under me, tumbling to the ground to realize my husband hated vegetables. Instead, it was like we stepped up to a game of tug-o-war and the tension built with every tug.