Expanding my family’s palate

[Anonymous]

Our dinners are homemade and ok but I want to expand everyone’s palate. My 15 year son especially is a meat and fries guy if given the chance. How does one introduce side dishes that are simple to prepare and will be tried by kids with very conventional tastes?

Lentils, chickpeas, bulger, interesting salads, veggies, etc. recipes?

[Anonymous]

There are two ways to do this:

1. You create a bridge. If he likes meat, make meat but provide sweet potato fries instead of regular. Baked potato, lentil and pilaf mix, etc. Try mixing lentils into meatloaf he already likes - start with a small proportion, like you would if you were changing a dog's food.

2. You take away ALL meat for a while until his mouth and brain forget the taste of it exactly, and then give him a lentil burger. He'll think that's good because he's forgotten what a burger made of chopped meat tastes like.

I'm a very picky eater and use each of these at different times, with different foods.

[Anonymous]

Korean BBQ with Korean potato salad was DS gateway food.

[Anonymous]

No reason to take away meat and fries if you're just going to replace it with meat and potatoes.

[Anonymous]

Just let him stick with meat. Extending his palate will only introduce more nutrient poor, high oxalate and inflammatory foods. He will live a longer, healthier life eating mostly meat.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think side dishes are the way to do it.

My son was a fussy eater, but if they are hungry and introduced to enough things enough times they will branch out. But make the whole meal something new.

[Anonymous]

I think side dishes is a good way - try to introduce something and keep bringing it back - kids need to try something a lot before they really like it.


Also, try some foods for snacks when they are super hungry - even if it's carrots and dip, stuffed peppers or whatever.

[Anonymous]

We started ordering Hello Fresh and expanded our palate because our kid got to participate more in making the meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just let him stick with meat. Extending his palate will only introduce more nutrient poor, high oxalate and inflammatory foods. He will live a longer, healthier life eating mostly meat.

Huh? Surely the boy needs fiber 💩, everyone needs fiber. Mostly meat is not a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Fried rice
Chili
Baked potatoes
Vegetables in pasta

[Anonymous]

What’s a typical weekly menu in your house now?

[Anonymous]

Why do you want to take away his meat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s a typical weekly menu in your house now?

Dinner might be:

Butter chicken and naan
Steak and oven fries
Pork chops and garlic bread
Spaghetti and turkey meatballs
Some type of stir fry

We’ll have some type of veggie - steamed broccoli, salad, roasted cauliflower etc.
other nights will be takeout/dinner out or leftovers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Korean BBQ with Korean potato salad was DS gateway food.

+1. Depends on the kid — my picky eater doesn’t like bland food. He’s much more likely to eat something new if it’s got a bit of spice in it. He’d live on Mexican food, but likes Indian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, etc. For example, he doesn’t like plain chicken soup, but he loves Caldo de Pollo.