Healthy Eating

I'm really not very picky, when it comes to food. It seems my mama raised me that way.

"What? You're full? You need to eat 8 more bites of your [insert green, cooked vegetable here] before you can get up from the table."

*groan* "Ok, mom."

We had to eat as many bites as the years we were old. Of course, when I say we, I mean my older, not-picky brother and me. My younger brother only had to eat 2 bites of whatever it was, even when he was 10. I guess it's a rule or something - the baby always get spoiled somehow. I'm actually not bitter about that at all. Nope. Hehe, I love you, Jonathan. ;o)

Anyway, I think it was a good rule. My brother and I grew up to have varied tastes in food. Even now, I will at least try any food. However, there are certain foods I just can't bring myself to like. The more I try to like them, the less I do. The food on this includes but is not limited to: bacon, bell peppers, oranges, Swiss cheese, licorice, and root beer. Ok, I know root beer isn't a food, but it seems there is at least one thing in each food group that I don't like.

Nate, on the other hand, isn't a huge fan of trying new foods. But now that we're eating healthy food, he's been awesome. I cook salmon, perch, shrimp, chicken, brown rice, couscous, artichoke; make salads and wraps; and he's great about eating all of it. He actually loves like 90% of what we eat. The food he has to "force down" includes berries and shrimp. He has an extremely weak sense of smell, which, as we were taught in elementary school, affects your sense of taste. Anything tart or sour tastes like just that - tart and sour. He doesn't get to taste the yummy sweetness of strawberries. He even refuses to eat sour gummy worms! I guess I can't say I blame him.

Probably the weirdest combination on this diet that we've come across was ricotta cheese with strawberries. I was like, "ooh, it'll be like a fruit and yogurt parfait!" I pulled it out of my lunch box and got all ready to eat it but, after one bite, ugh, it was gross! I made myself finish it because I knew it was good for me, but never again. Ricotta cheese in lasagna is great, but it is not a substitute for yogurt. It's not sweet. It's more like cottage cheese in flavor, but the texture is more solid. If you've never had it, picture firm yogurt that you could eat with a fork. I was not a fan at all! Nate actually really liked it though!