Eating Greens is a Special Treat

“‘Eating greens is a special treat, It makes long ears and great big feet. But it sure is awful stuff to eat.’ I made that last part up myself.”

To say I was a picky eater as a child is to say Hawaii is surrounded by a small body of water. I was horrible. I remember sitting at the table after everyone had left, with my food still sitting in front of me, having a battle of wills with my mom. Sometimes she won. Other times she would find my food dumped in the garbage can or down the kitchen sink. Once I even had a debate with my dad over who was going to eat my dinner. He explained to me that it was my food; therefore, it was my responsibility to eat it. I countered that argument with the logical explanation that I was giving him my food, which meant he had no guilt in taking and eating it. Though he smiled and laughed at my sound rebuttal, he didn't bite and I ended up forcing myself to eat whatever it was sitting on my plate.

As a teenager, I realized I needed to venture into uncharted territories. Little by little, I began trying new foods hoping to find a taste that seemed palatable. Recent events have caused me to think upon this adventure. I have had the opportunity to try new foods, not by choice, but because circumstances and decorum deemed it necessary. I realized I have added quite the array of new foods to my list of likes (or food I will eat) the past ten years. You may be shocked to see certain foods on my new list of likes, but remember, as a child, I went to great lengths to avoid eating anything that looked suspiciously healthy. For now I am content with my progress and happy to say that I no longer feel that "greens" are awful stuff to eat.

Not an inclusive list: Strawberries, Avocados, Raspberries, Spinach, Broccoli, Artichokes, Asparagus, Sauteed Mushrooms, Green Beans