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I hope this is the right place to post, if not.....oh well.
My sister-in(because)-law, husband, and 3 girls will not try ANYTHING new. When they(the daughters of inlaws) say "gross.....etc" I hear their parents. If it's not hamburger, hot dog, or chicken, then forget it. One of them didn't even believe that fish sticks were made of FISH! She though it was chicken! They have had mountain oysters and liked them........until I told them what they were..........then they wouldn't touch them. One of them likes rice and cucumbers, I tried to get her to eat sushi.......yep a cucumber roll.........absolutly would not, she said "its sushi" even after I explained what was in it.
These kids are mid teens, so are mine. My kids will try anything once, then I don't push it. These girls, not a chance! I could have a fried chicken leg on thier plate and call it sumsugi(or use any japanese sounding word) and they wouldn't try it.
Not my place to "force" someones kid to try something, I just want to "open" their eyes. How do you do this with stubborn kids?
Id say your in the right forum. My daughter was picky this way too, younger though. It's a shame they are so stubborn. They are missing out on so much. I would keep up the method your using, just don't give in and tell them what it really is. Make up a name for it ( something you'll stick with), have your own little goofy food vocabulary. Be the fun uncle, get them to try new things but don't give in, give them a phony explanation when they ask- What they don't know won't hurt em.
I don't think there's anything you can do, really.
It's a shame when people are so narrow-minded and unadventurous, but you can't get blood from a stone! I wouldn't try to get them to taste new things anymore, but I'd also continue to eat whatever food I like in front of them, and just laugh if they say "ew." Maybe one of them will even try something if she doesn't feel like she's being encouraged to. You know how contrary teenagers can be!
With restaurants, we were always of the opinion, that there is always something to eat in every restaurant. By getting them to look at a menu is a start. Then start with something bland in an ethnic restaurant. Like dumplings, or noodles or soup. Then get them to experiment from there. Offer them little pieces of what you are having... just one bite... is not quite as threatening.
My kids like many ethnic foods now since we used this approach. Son is even starting to like hot stuff.
my brother and i were like that, but my father was adamant about us trying new things at least once. "take a bite and if you dont like it you dont have to eat it"
we are now foodies and will try everything. but like you said it's their parents' words and they are kind of older and have had these impressions grained into their minds.
i have family like that as well. when my niece was little (around 3) i gave her a pickle to try, just handed it to her and she started to eat it and LIKED it. comments were made about giving it to her oh no she won't eat THAT, once my niece heard these remarks she stopped eating and said yuck gross. okay but 5 minutes ago you LOVED it.
also same family swears their children will only eat a certain brands of foods (mac and cheese, hot dogs, chicken fingers). kids came to my house for dinner, i bought them chicken fingers and hot dogs but the wrong brand (kosher hot dogs because you really do know whats in them and we're not kosher). parents gasped at the site of the brands i bought and insisted (thankfully not in front of the children) the kids would NOT like the food because it was the wrong brand and according to the parents kosher hot dogs taste different (ummm..... i eat them and never noticed a difference in taste and you do realize what goes in to a hot dog would have thought the parents would have preferred a kosher hot dog over the other stuff). Kids never noticed the difference and ATE all the food I put in front of them.
Moral of the story: a lot of times it the PARENTS and not the kids.
I have never understood how incredibly narrow minded people can be about food and trying new culinary experiences.
Food to me is one of the greatest joys has to offer and if we only ate what we were used to, we would miss out on so many gastronomic delights.
We all have likes and dislikes but until you have tried something I find it borderline stupid to say "yukk" or"gross". Not even borderline, just plain stupid. Sorry if I offend anyone.
Food is very much a cultural thing and our taboos are dictated purely by our own cultural limitations.
It does not mean we can't step out of that narrow path and explore a bit.
The ironic thing is that to me those picky people are the ones who usually eat the most disgusting food, usually pre-packaged, processed, plastic, bland tasting offerings of no interest whatsoever.
I have often wondered why these people are not just given a pill as real food is obviously of no interest to them whatsoever.
Some of my most memorable meals have come from trying out new things and putting my prejudices to sleep.
Sadly this appalling attitude to food ( and life in general I suspect) is found in our mdern society because kids are so pampered as to only eat what they want. Parents have no control, and kids dictate to their progenitors rather than the other way around. Mind you the parents often have the same "tastes" or lack of.
Kids should be encouraged to eat as adults do from toddlerhood and taught to appreciate food and where it comes from.
We need to re-instate a true love of eating and an appreciation of gastronomy.
My father allowed me 3 foods I would not eat ( after I had first tasted them), anything else I had to eat. I am about the least picky eater I know and I love new, sometimes bizarre foods.
Picky eaters are a mystery to me. How can one limit oneself to only a few morsels of food when the world is your oyster so to speak ?
How incredibly narrow-minded and idiotic.
Life is about experiences, about new discoveries and about curiosity and having an enquiring mind and palate.
Anything else is a travesty of life and one might just as well stay in bed drinking life sustaining vitamins instead of enjoying eating.
I cannot imagine more mind blowingly boring people than those poor souls who are afraid and suspicious of everything new. Life must be so tedious for them. So lacking in lustre and joie de vivre.
Oh well , more scallops, mussels, Ceviche, Sashimi and Steak Tartare for me anyway !
Children are very suggestible. Psychologists tell you never to say "oh she is shy" in front of the child, because she will start thinking of herself that way. They will self-fulfill and get into a "role". Which is not good.
And yes, I hate it when parents cater to their kids. My parents never did it, we ate what was on the table. And if you didn't like it - you had bread and butter for dinner. Most of the time we ate something but at least we would try it. The parents are so aggravating to be like that.
Me I will try anything - the only thing I couldn't bring myself to do was escargot - kept imagining my garden slugs. Mostly my attitude is - Hey, if you don't like it, don't eat it again - but if you don't try it, you might be missing out on some good eats.
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