Are Our Kids Weird?

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This morning my son broke into a little ditty about the prune he was eating. It went something like: “I love prunes, they are so good, I like prunes, they are my favorite food”. Now remember he is five and five year olds will just burst into song at whatever makes them happy. But isn’t that cool? He was happy about eating prunes! How many adults do you know that crinkle up their nose at the word prune and have never tried one? I have to assume that if an adult doesn’t eat prunes they are not going to offer them to their kids. I’m not debating whether prunes taste good or not my point is offer kids healthy choices from an early age avoids the preconception we as adults have of certain foods. My kids eat beets, prunes, bran porridge, cabbage, and other weird sounding stuff. At their ages they don’t even know it is unusual. They just know that they like the taste and they eat it. Now when is it easier to have our children eat healthy? As an infant, a preschooler, or as a teenager?  I have found introducing the right foods to an infant will give them a taste for healthy foods. Just think about it; when do your kids acquire a taste for sweetened cereal, high fat foods, or foods that are overly salty? Since we are spooning food into them as an infant and into toddler ages we are responsible for their diet. We have actually given our kids the taste for certain foods over others. Try foods that are not sweetened with sugar, highly refined, or even bland in color and texture. So hip hip hurray to kids that eat carrots and celery sticks, give a cheer to all children who enjoy fish grilled with ginger and garlic, smile at those snacking on nuts and cheese. Enjoy your weird child knowing they will grow to love food not by what others tell them but by their experience.