Good morning! I hope the world is being good to you and you’re being good to it.

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and share a thought with me!

Determining what to eat for a day’s three-square is one of the more frustrating daily activities. I hate that I expend as much thought as I do trying to make up my mind and land on something I’m excited to eat, but when it’s just me that’s easy. The labor of mealtime prep is an activity exacerbated by kids who each have different tastes and stubborn attitudes. One kid is only a year-and-a-half, so I’ll give her some grace as she’s still figuring things out. The other two, however, I can only shake my head.

Growing up, we were a “one meal for the family” household. We ate what was made, went hungry, or had to fend for ourselves. I can’t think of a time the second two options came into play for me or my siblings. Now, most nights find three different “meals” getting prepped. I’m not, however, talking full course buffets. We’re not that ambitious. There’s maybe one or two simple components per meal. Mac and cheese is a house favorite. Hot dogs and corn dogs get frequent use as well. That’s just dinner. Get to the weekend, we’re faced with diversifying breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s a lie, there’s very little diversifying because there’s very little the older kids are willing to try and, even if the food is passable, finish.

I don’t fault the kids, entirely. There were years of opportunity to implement a one-meal for the family policy, but then, we’re facing the potential of them refusing to eat or some other level of tantrum. Plus, I’m a big proponent of getting everyone together for meals to connect about plans for the day, morning recaps, or stories over dinner. Accomplishing this often requires acquiescing to picky eaters.

As the kids get older, our focus is introducing different meals and types of food. This will lead, and has led, to slow progress opening their taste buds to new things they may like. Oh, there is still a plethora of mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and toast (yes, toast is one kid’s favorite go-to right now), but the oldest now helps choose and prepare our Hello Fresh meals. That alone is a revelation.

Multiple meal prep has gone on long enough that it’s an expected part of the daily routine, but that doesn’t mean we’re complacent with it. There’s a nudge each day to “try this” or explain “what’s wrong with the food that you don’t like it?” This is done with an eye to the future. There’s an inherent need to overcome these fickle diets. One, subsisting on toast, especially for someone entering their prime growing years, isn’t feasible long-term. Second, the palette has to mature at some point, otherwise there’s the risk of the kids becoming “those people” when out for dinner. You don’t want to be the one getting picky about the menu or unnecessarily sending food back. I’m confident the day will come when special meals are no longer necessary. Until then, I’ll continue forcing myself to eat the mac and cheese with the kids.