The day I didn’t eat my mushrooms…

One day my partner cooked me breakfast which should have been all kinds of wonderful, except it wasn’t.

I wasn’t hungry. I was tired and grumpy. And I didn’t like the mushrooms.

Me: “Did you cook these on a low heat?”

Partner: “Yes.”

Me: “Hmmm. I cook them on high heat.”

Partner (yelling): “What about your mushrooms? You love mushrooms? Why did I bother spending time cooking for you? What a waste!!! I won’t bother doing this again.”

Who would talk to their partner like that?! Mine has experienced me at my angriest and wouldn’t want to go there again. He just said “Okay” and carried on eating his food.

Because I’m an adult, I can (mostly) rationalise why I sometimes don’t want particular foods or am not in the mood for eating. The mushrooms did indeed taste different because they were cooked differently. Most days I would cope with the difference, just not today.

Just like adults, children also experience this. Some children are particularly sensitive and find food changes even more difficult. Remember, this is partly why veggies and meat are often rejected – there are literally countless ways to cook these foods that really do change the taste and texture. Think how differently cooked carrot tastes to roasted or crispy raw carrot.

To this day, I am CONVINCED that carrot sliced in rings tastes different to carrot sticks when they are cooked. Bizarre, right? But I get away with it because I’m an adult. Just as I’m allowed to have a day when food just doesn’t taste right, when I’m too tired or grumpy to eat, so do children!

Reacting with sensitivity and respect for the child’s right to choose whether or not they eat something is so important. The dinner table needs to be a SAFE space. If we react with irritation, impatience or even anger it has the effect of making mealtimes stressful – and a stressed child will not eat as well as a relaxed one. Some children may force themselves to eat to please you, some may dig their heels in and make mealtimes a battleground. Neither is a great outcome.

This doesn’t mean little ones are allowed to be rude about the food in front of them. Teaching kids how to turn down food politely is an important social skill and shows appreciation for the person who has cooked.

We’ve all been there, me included! The annoyed sigh when food goes untouched. It’s a learning process and none of us ever get it right 100% of the time and that’s okay. If you are finding this hard right now, try to remember a time when you felt you HAD to eat something to keep someone happy. How did it feel?

You’ve got this!

Eat happy!
Bonnie Searle
Accredited Practising Dietitian

image of unhappy kid faceplanting on the sandwich on his plate

Get feeding tips from the
Kids Dig Food team
sent directly to your inbox.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Thanks for signing up!