This is one of the meals my kids will eat. Photo: Jennifer Pinarski
For almost six years, I was that smug mother who posted photos of my family?s meals and boasted that my kids weren?t picky eaters. At 18 months, my son?s favourite food was spicy chickpea curry. At the same age, my daughter preferred butter chicken to chicken fingers. And as they grew up, their curiosity about different flavours grew, too, to the point where I wondered if I was raising food snobs.
But their adventurousness has come to a screeching halt. My kids have entered what I call their ?beige period.? It?s kind of like Picasso?s blue period, with the same dreary sadness of monochromatic colours, except it?s on their plates. At least Picasso mixed colours; my children do not mix food. Absolutely no food on their plates can touch because, in case you didn?t know, touching food is disgusting?at least according to my six-year-old daughter. If your adventurous eater has suddenly boarded the train to Picky Town, you can probably relate to how I?m dealing with my children?s menu requests.
1. Denial

?No, my kid isn?t picky. It?s just a stage?I?m sure of it.?
At first you think your child is simply under the weather or maybe there was too much garlic in a dish. Perhaps they didn?t want scrambled eggs?I mean we did run out of ketchup. But deep down in your heart, you know that your kid?s eating habits are changing?and not for the better. You buy extra ketchup and a loaf of white bread just in case.
2. Des...