The chicken (tender) or the (fertilized) egg...

Which came first?


First of all, I'm not a mommy. Yet. So I need to confess that I have never been on the receiving end of a dinner-hour tantrum. Now that we have that disclaimer out of the way, I just wanted to rant a bit about "kids' menus." Is it me or is just about everything on said menus fried and/or beige? The most colorful thing about the options for kids in most restaurants are the crayons. That usually means lots of simple sugars, fat and little nutrition. And applesauce doesn't count in my book... Heck, maybe the crayons wouldn't be such a bad snack when you weigh the limited options. At least those are supposed to be non-toxic...


I have visions of bearing small people who look like me and eat as I do. OK, so perhaps the first part is ridiculous (not to mention vain). But am I wrong to expect to have children that try different cuisines, eat fruit AND vegetables AND grains, and keep the minced/fried chicken snacks to a serious minimum?


I can't imagine that babies are born with a hankering for fries, macaroni and cheese and fried bits of chicken? Not that there is anything wrong with any of those in moderation! Do parents introduce such foods too soon and turn their mini-me's into monsters, making it difficult to not cave in to stop the screams and tears when kids want that stuff at every meal? Maybe it's like an addiction, making chicken nuggets the gateway food to poor nutrition. If these study findings released last year are correct, I'll just put carrot sticks in paper that is covered with arches... Have any of you managed to rear children who eat more than grilled cheese?


It's clear that I have given this too much thought, especially since my two "children" have fur and floppy ears. Matter of fact, here's a picture I took of my "kids," Bailey (left), 10 months and Bree, 11 years old. Yeah, I know, I know. The picture isn't food-related. But, darnit if they aren't the sweetest...