In Kids' Lunch, take a look into what people in the food world and the world at large pack their children (and occasionally their significant others and maybe even their pets) for lunch.
Today, find out how Aran Goyoaga, from the blog Cannelle et Vanille, keeps two children with very different tastes happy at breakfast time.
I have two kids: Jon, who is 9, and Miren, who is almost 6. They are polar opposites in pretty much everything in life, and particularly in food. I used to be one of those people who confidently exclaimed to others “My kids will eat everything!” And I admit it, those words came from a place of know-it-all-in-food European judgment. But once I had my own kids, I realized I was wrong.
My children are healthy eaters. Jon is very precise in the way he likes flavors and textures, and his palate gravitates towards healthy foods and a preference for carbs. Miren loves eggs, plain and simple. Fried eggs and Spanish tortilla are everything to her—breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Although I haven’t quite conquered the “my kids will eat everything!” goal, I am a firm believer in not being a slave to my children, especially in the kitchen. “This is not a restaurant,” I say to them, but it can be a challenge sometimes. When I ask, “What would you like for breakfast?,” I shoot myself in the foot. It goes against my mantra, yet I fall into the trap every time. And if I let them dictate breakfast, we would be having a feast every morning.
I have asked them to compromise. Each day, one of them gets to choose the breakfast that requires cooking and the other can either conform or have a bowl of already-made granola. If Jon asks for waffles one day, Miren must eat them or else she can grab a piece of fruit or granola. On the following day, we switch roles: fried eggs with avocado for Miren and granola for Jon. And so on and so forth. So far, so good.
How do you feed children with opposing tastes? Share your tips in the comments.
Photos by Aran Goyoaga
Written by: Aran Goyoaga
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6 Comments
Could not agree more. My kids made their own breakfast and packed their own lunch from a very early age. They used to dismissively talk about their friends who complained about what Mom had packed for lunch, saying "if they don't like what Mom packed then why don't they pack lunch for themselves?" Of course, that meant I had to allow certain leeway in their lunch choices which wasn't always easy. But now that they are older teenagers I'm happy to say they are all confident in the kitchen, and healthy eaters to boot. (They also know how to do their own laundry and clean a bathroom.) ;)
That's a great point actually. I'm from the Basque Country and I grew up helping in the kitchen from a young age. Jon does help a lot and he really does help with prep but there are certain things like making tortilla de patatas, which requires frying/poaching potatoes in almost a cup of olive oil. He is still quite young in his abilities to be in charge of tasks like this.
Another factor is time and during the week, it is hard to set aside time for extensive teaching and supervising. But I do agree these are great lessons for our children and I will continue to get them involved in meal preparations.
For the record, we never did much cooking for breakfast on weekdays! I was busy as a trial lawyer, commuting into town, so we kept it simple during the week but then had a lot of fun on, and limited new skills teaching to, the weekends. (Also for the record, my sons both thrived with and preferred routine, so lunches were not complicated affairs, either.) ;o)
Is time an issue? What a great opportunity to model / encourage advance planning activities, and to show your children the rewards of thinking ahead.
I'd be interested in your, and other parents', thoughts on this.
;o) P.S. I raised two sons who were given responsibility at a very young age for making both their own breakfasts and their own lunches, and they've turned out to be the most amazing, competent young adults.
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