New Food Sundays....

Z is a VERY picky eater and we have struggled for years to get him to try anything new.  A few weeks ago I read in a magazine about a parent offering up a new food once a week.  I think the parent called it, "New Food Mondays".  I loved the idea, told Z about it and told him that HE could even pick the new healthy food to try.  He was surprisingly open to the idea and so our new tradition was born.

The first week he picked broccoli (can you believe it???).  He was very excited about it until it sat on his plate in front of him.  He giggled looking down at the little trees in front of him and looked at me with a look of disgust.  I told him that he had to try it (eat one tree) and then if he didn't like it, he could go on and eat the rest of his dinner.  He took a "bite" and made a face.  I don't even think a morsel of broccoli touched his tongue but he declared that he did not like it.  I stood firm and told him he had to eat the entire little tree before he could eat the rest of his dinner and even showed him the old plugging your nose trick.  He plugged his nose and spent 5 LONG minutes chewing that tiny broccoli tree.  It was painful to watch but he did it and moved onto the rest of his supper.  At the end of the meal he declared that next week he would like to try Grilled Cheese. 

Last night, the delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwich was delivered to his seat.  S did an amazing job with this sandwich, it was ooey, gooey perfection.  C gobbled down the other half and Z sat there in a stand off.  He wouldn't look at the sandwich and was wishing that it would go away.  I told him the rules, that he had to eat a bite of sandwich and then he could eat the rest of his dinner and I reminded him that this food was his choosing.  This caused the waterworks to flow and he sobbed uncontrollably.  I calmly told him to excuse himself from the table and explained that if he did not take a bite of sandwich he would not be eating anything this evening.  I told him that the doctor has told me that he will be fine if he goes one night without food and that he needs to try new things. This news sent him crying to his room. 

It was awful!  I have never sent him to bed hungry but he is now 4 1/2 and it is time to open up his world to new and different foods.  I feel that this way of going about it is putting him in control of the food choices and thus it should not be so difficult for him.  I usually do not battle over food, for me it is not a place I want to go.  However, I wanted him to know that I mean business around this "New Food Sundays" and want him to be a little more open minded.  At bedtime he told me that he had a horrible day.  I then reminded him of the fun that was had during the day and during his bedtime routine and that it was really a horrible dinner time.  He agreed, snuggled up and told me that next week he wants to try peas.  Who is this kid????