hope for the picky eater mom & a recipe for roasted brussels sprouts
Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 8:36PM I have a lot of titles and roles that I play on a daily basis (some days I think my Tweetdeck needs a user's manual.) But unquestionably one of the most challenging parts - Picky Eater Mom.
(At the risk of stating the obvious, I'M not the picky eater. My oldest son is.)
I've done all the "right" things. I ate a diverse diet during pregnancy and nursing, made early introduction of a variety of flavors/textures, blah, blah, blah. My apologies to my fellow RDs... I know I sound jaded... because I am, if I'm being truthful. It happens after a few years of being the Picky Eater Mom. But I know that ultimately this is just payback for ALL those many years as an on-air RD I gave "advice" and "instruction" to picky eater moms... when I had no children of my own. #Fail. Clearly, I knew all the rules.
The problem - son #1 didn't. Or at least he didn't follow them.
Until today.
The one rule I've recently tried to give an extra effort to (for fear of losing the battle forever) is to offer the foods I eat and love, no matter whether I think he will like them or not. Some tastes grow over time & acceptance comes with familiarity. It's easy as the mom of a picky eater to forget this and feel like "why bother?"
Here's why
Would you believe that the veggie that caught the thumbs up at the dinner table tonight was the humble Brussels sprout?!?
I know. I was shocked, too. But it goes to show that as moms of kids who don't want to dive in to every full plate, we can't give up. As with so many facets of parenting, you just may be surprised at what happens next.
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Apples
Ingredients
- 2 cups trimmed fresh Brussels sprouts, cut in half
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Toss Brussels sprouts, apple, olive oil, salt and pepeper in a large bowl; place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment (be sure to spread pieces apart). Roast at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until just tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar; return to oven and roast an additional 5 minutes or until tender.
