Outsmarting the picky eater

With AJ, I am spoiled. He eats anything. He may not like it, but by the time he started showing any signs of pickiness, he was old enough to understand that if he wants to get down from the table, wants a bedtime treat, wants to watch TV later, wants to (fill in your favorite threat here), then he needs to clean his plate.


Sydney is a different story. She has refused babyfood for months, even though she doesn't have the molars to eat tougher foods, like meat. She occasionally likes peas, and she loves french fries. That's her vegetable list. Fruit, milk and carbs: those would make up her ideal diet.

So I had high hopes that the sweet potatoes and apples I roasted along with a pork tenderloin just might be a hit. Wrong. That's when I turned to Plan B. Blending them all up in our Magic Bullet, I smeared them like a paste on some bread and gave Sydney a sandwich. The princess happily gobbled it up.

AJ, who also wasn't too thrilled with the meal, immediately wanted a sandwich, too, so I did the same for him. I believe his comment was, "this isn't very good."

That's when we went back to Plan A. "Just eat it, or you're going to be sitting there all night."