anything on a stick, lol

There was a period in Henry's younger life when he would eat anything,
ANYTHING if I would let him eat it with toothpicks.

Those were the days.

Henry announced he was a vegetarian just after he turned 9. We thought
it would be a fun thing to watch him try for a couple of weeks (he was
a major carnivore who had graduated to Quarter Pounders from hamburgers
at age 3). He's still mostly vegetarian although he does eat all
seafood.

Cooking nutritionally in our house, then, is a challenge -- especially
since my husband does not eat many vegetables. We eat a lot of fish
(which keeps us all healthier) and then there are nights when we will
have meat for my husband and me and I'll prepare something more on the
convenience-foods line (a frozen cheese pizza or somesuch) or something
simple like an omelet for Henry.

I learned early on (and still believe this) not to worry about variety.
That's imposing my preferences on him. If he falls in love with
somethign that's nutritious (right now it's strawberries mixed with
blueberries) then he can have it three meals a day (supplemented with
other things) if he wants. When he tires of it (and he will, usually
on the day I purchased an especially large supply on sale) then we move
on.

I think their preferences as they get older are shaped a lot by peers.

-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 13