Join the coalition against D.O.T.S.

[Uuaww]

Food lovers, and no, I am not talking to you chicken strip lovers, I want you to join the coalition against D.O.T.S. or Death Of Taste Sense.

Your right this is sad, my parents had one rule for our vacations: I could not order the same food twice. They made me try everything under the sun. And because of that I know that eat healthier. You people do not know what your missing when you basically give up 90% of the food out there. You will never understand how chicken, duck, cornish game hen, and phesant (sp?) are all very different tastes and also textures. No one has tastebuds that are so dumbed down that they will only enjoy one food at a theme park.

There are so many great restaurants at disney world, and you are giving them up so you can have chicken strips? Chicken strips, fries, burgers, cheese pizza, etc. the staple american foods need to be taken away from our palletes, they are ruining them. Sure the variety isn't as great at Disneyworld but we all know that it is there. I truly do wish that they would get rid of chicken strips, it might give parents and adults with no sense for taste a chance to branch out. There has to be more than one food at theme park with 20+ restaurants that you like.

Parents I beg of you to not send your kids down a path where they don't try new foods. Start small, when you order a pepperoni pizza, add mushrooms, or sausage, or peppers, something, anything to get them to try new foods. If your really getting bold, order Hawaiian. Adults, it is never too late to try new foods, next time your at the grocery store, buy some pita chips and hummus, theres like 6 different kinds of hummus, all of which are awesome; or go and try mango salsa, but please, branch out, your taste buds will come alive again, and your body will thank you from going away from that greasy mess that is chicken strips and fries.

Don't let taste become the dying sense...



Please add your best wild dishes of WDW, from the Boma to V&A. We need to teach our youth that taste is something that should be cherished, and not taken for granted. To know that it is ok to love wild foods.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Where can I get a button to wear?

 

[Laura]

I feel that way too, sometimes.

 

[fakereadhed]

Parents I beg of you to not send your kids down a path where they don't try new foods. Start small, when you order a pepperoni pizza, add mushrooms, or sausage, or peppers, something, anything to get them to try new foods. If your really getting bold, order Hawaiian.

This assumes that parents who order kids menu at at theme parks do not expose kids to a wide variety of foods. Not true for me. But I'm not going to buy a meal my kid will only nibble at at the Most Expensive...er, I mean Happiest Place on Earth. Yes, I make them try my recipes from the Food Network at dinner, but they are on vacation, too!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I think buttons are a good choice.
2) I am ready to put one on NOW !
3) Too many people are stuck on the same foodstuffs.


EDITORIAL NOTE: I have problems with parents who complain of children who are "picky eaters". I do not believe it is the child but the adult who did not make the child eat different foods earlier in life.

 

[laurabelle]

Wow... as a kid I was one of the pickiest eaters ever, and we rarely ate fast foods or snacks growing up. My mom cooked well, but I just wouldn't eat. Believe me, they tried every tactic, including putting me on a diet that they fed kids in third world countries... no I'm not kiddding!

Guess what, I grew out of it. I'm still not a big eater, but I'm a healthy eater. I love food and I'm pretty adventurous in my eating and cooking. I don't think my tastes buds were "dumbed down" I just had to grow into them. Sometimes as adults we get into food ruts, especially if we become uninspired cooks. So I guess the same could be said of us.

Now I have one dd who is adventurous like me now, and another dd who is picky like me as a child. I know what it's like to be the picky one, and I don't worry about it. My dd is healthy according to her pediatrician and even she has told me not to worry about it. I'm pretty sure my dd will get over it and eat "real food" someday...

I think encouraging kids to try new foods is great, it's important even. I tried having a rule about eating a bite of an unknown food that I read in a parenting book. Just once...she promptly (through tears) threw it up! I immediately regretted not following my own instincts.

During our 2nd trip to Disney, when my picky eater was 2yrs old we were there for F&W and she decided then and there that she loved hummus...see there's hope! But she had to be the one to say it was appealing to her and she wanted to try it.

So when we visit Disney on the DDP, my oldest and I will share and hubby will have his own and my youngest will have her kids meal, even though she'll be 10 by then. And she's more than welcome to try anything at the table that is appealing to her. After all, we want to keep WDW the happiest place on earth!

 

[pennyplanner]

Interesting thread!

My DSs were offered just a teaspoon's worth of a new item to taste at the table. Some became favorites and some they don't care for but a small bite is required. Happily this worked out fine. They eat "all the colors of the rainbow."

They loved Boma which really was a surprise to me.

My favorite story was how my youngest would not eat potatoes in any form except for french fries which were an infrequent treat. That teaspoon method has resulted in a baked, roasted and mashed potato fan right along with broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus.

Mushrooms still not a favorite!

My grandfather was a produce vendor. We ate all sorts of fruits and vegetable by the season. It's funny that pomegranites are now trendy! I used to get a kick out of kids at college who had no idea what certain vegetables were.

Variety is the spice of life...at least when it comes to eating!

--penny

 

[formernyer]

Why try something new when there's a great big steak on the menu?

 

[Chuck S]

I did see something on TV the other day. If the mother eats a variety of foods while pregnant, with a wide range of tastes and textures, the child is more likely to enjoy tasting and eating new foods. Interesting concept that perhaps the child can sort of "taste" things through the mother.

 

[Uuaww]

pomegranites are trendy? they are so hard to eat and they stain like nothing else. But good to see i have some support against D.O.T.S.

 

[Susiev25]

This is pretty funny! i am in the boat that i make my kids try new things, even if it's just from my plate! For this I have kids(all girls ages 6,4,2) who love all types of food! A favorite snack for them is carrot sticks with hummus dip! When in WDW two of the favorite restaurants are Spoodles(for the mediteranian dips appetizer) and the Plaza restaurant(for the chicken and strawberry salad). Those are the kids choices! My two year old will eat beoccoli and aspargaus before eating potatoes! now 'm not saying my kids don't LOVE chicken fingers and fries but they are willing to try new things! Even if I'm NOT

 

[curiouser]

Psh, keep the masses at Cosmic Rays! I don't want to have to fight for a table at my favorite restaurants.

And just because one eats chicken strips at Disney doesn't mean they don't eat a wide variety of foods. Honestly, I tend to eat things like chicken strips and hot dogs at Disney more than I would at home because I'm eating more meals out so I like more of a variety.

 

[CheshireVal]

I agree. I am constantly amazed by how many threads start off with... "My DD/DS is a picky eater... should we try _______"


YES, try it! Don't let kids be so darned picky!

 

[D&R love Disney]

I was very pickey as a child, I just wouldn't eat if I didn't like it. Now I'm an adventerous eater and love going for fine dining. I've exposed my DH to all kinds of different foods and I'm working on his kids. The oldest is hopeless, he won't even eat the grill marks on a steak! The 3 others are getting better even if it's trying some of the things we order.

 

[Tissa]

I have one son that will try anything and I have another son who is a very picky eater. It has to do more with texture and smell and there is no way to force food into him. I did get him to try a spoonful of spaghetti last week which he gagged on and spit out.

Just remember because some people like humus and the like doesn't mean that the rest of us have no taste or taste buds. I think it's the other way around

 

[D&R love Disney]

I was very pickey as a child, I just wouldn't eat if I didn't like it. Now I'm an adventerous eater and love going for fine dining. I've exposed my DH to all kinds of different foods and I'm working on his kids. The oldest is hopeless, he won't even eat the grill marks on a steak! The 3 others are getting better even if it's trying some of the things we order. I even got 2 of them to try steamers last summer!

 

[Priorityonecb]

I wish more resturaunts took this advice! (some do...most don't!). Both of my girls are good eaters and don't care for "kid" type foods. I wish more resturaunts would put healthy options on thier kids menu's. My 9 year old daughter won't eat french fries or hot dogs...but would happily scarf down a plate of salmon and broccoli!

 

[Mortlives]

I was considered picky as a child, as well. As an adult, I've realized that my objections to foods when I was a child were largely based on preparation methods that changed the flavour of vegetables (and some meats) from what they are naturally. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I didn't hate broccoli, I hated broccoli that had had all the nutrition cooked out of it. I don't hate carrots. I hate frozen carrots, tinned carrots and boiled carrots. I don't dislike roast beef, I dislike the shoe leather formerly known as roast beef. I will eat most vegetables, as long as they're fresh, and preferably raw, although lightly cooked, steamed or stir-fried is okay, too.

DS started out picky, but we made him try different things, and now he thinks nothing of ordering Kalamari or Sushi. I think the important thing is to make sure foods are fresh and well prepared.

And who else thinks hanging is too good for the idiot who decided that all kids meals should come with french fries, and without vegetables? I'm glad that's changing, but when DS was young enough to eat from the kids' menu, it was always chicken fingers and french fries, hamburger and french fries, hot dogs and french fries, or severely bland spaghetti. We are talking about a serious nutritional wasteland (and waistland). And then they blame computers for childhood obesity being on the rise.

 

[Priorityonecb]

Yes!! What on earth is up with fries with everything?? Are carrot sticks so much more expensive that they can't be an alternative? I do like the trend now at Wendy's and such that there is a fruit option instead of fries...I wish Disney would do that!

 

[CBCit]

I do take exception to blaming the parents of picky eaters. I am a foodie, I love to eat, to cook, to even think about food. I exposed my children to all kinds of food early on. I ended up with my oldest refusing to eat anything she really had to chew without gagging until she was 3(my pediatrician said I promise Mrs. C, she will outgrow it, baby food WILL NOT be one of the entrees you serve at her wedding). She did outgrow it and is now a normal eater willing to try new things. My son lived on pasta and the occasional chicken nugget until he was around 12 or 13 while being surrounded and encouraged to try all kinds of other foods. He would lose 5 pounds for every week of vacation because he would refuse to eat unfamiliar foods. Now that he is 15 he is still very picky, he hates soda, bubble gum, most candy. He tolerates some meat such as steak and burgers, but really dosen't like it. Same for pizza and fries. He loves sushi, any pasta and shrimp or scallops combination, spaghetti and meatballs, egg salad on a bagel. He will eat a tossed salad now(yeah), a few veggies and bananas. If he does not like something he will not eat it no matter how hungry he is. His sister, Dad and I will eat anything. So go figure how he got this way, but you can't blame me!
PS: He really liked Boma because he was able to experience 1 or 2 new interesting things but fill out his dinner with good old mac n cheese. And he ordered the African stew at Mara for dinner our last night there(I was shocked) and liked that.