Last week we talked about how there are really few bad foods. In the grand scheme of things, if foods are spoiled, charred, or funky-monkey with bugs and pets in them - we know pretty quickly!
So what about the rest of the foods?
This can be applied to infants through toddlers and picky eaters, through teen to adults.
Yes-please foods:
Foods I love, ones I eat regularly. Foods I enjoy and welcome. This includes everything from veggies to candy. If you eat it, it’s a yes food.
No thank-you foods:
Foods I just don’t care for.
For young infants, it’s choking hazard foods. Right now, it’s a no.
Foods you’re allergic to, um, it’s a no.
If you have celiac disease and there’s gluten in it - it’s a no.
If you have an intolerance for dairy - dude, it’s a no (unless you have a lotta Lactaid).
Not yet foods:
OK - this is where a lot of the no foods should actually be. Foods that are not yet a yes.
Maybe we haven’t tried it yet.
Or tried it enough.
Or haven’t had it made the way that makes it a YES.
What I’ve found is that there are so many more not yet foods than no foods.
And when we see eating as exploring, practicing, and an opportunity to see what’s next – we open doors to not yet becoming the new yes.
Brussel sprouts - when I grew up, I was served boiled brussel spouts. I did not enjoy them. They were repeatedly served, and forced upon me - and none of that helped me enjoy the brussels.
Later on, they were served to me, roasted and they were amazing - bit of spice, served in a completely different way.
It wasn’t that the brussels should have been a “no” food. It’s that they hadn’t been offered to me in a way that I found palatable and enjoyed - and perhaps not at the right time that I was open to eating them.
They were actually just a “not yet” food. I just didn’t know at that time that they would eventually become my new favorite food, a YES food.
When we see eating as exploring, practicing and seeing what is next – we open doors from foods being no, thank you to not yet to yes.
This is how we can expand the opportunity to talk about food in a new way: not about good or bad, it’s about practicing and seeing how all of our foods can be a part of this rich, whole collection of all the foods that we eat.
And when you're ready to start applying this in your own home, check out www.wendyschofermd.com for more information about my coaching programs.
Disclaimer: While Wendy Schofer, MD discusses health and wellness, this is not medical advice and she is not your doctor. Optimal health is achieved in combination with your physician, who collaborates with you for your individual health. Talk to your doctor. And tell them about Family in Focus. Mwah!
Check out the Family in Focus with Wendy Schofer, MD Podcast!
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