The Way It Goes: Palates that refuse to yield

Not that I wanted to share it with them; I just wanted to see if they would agree to a teeny tiny taste this one time. But like all the other times, they screwed up their faces to express their disgust and gave me an emphatic “no.”

I was enjoying a meal of rice with meat on bone over the weekend and for the umpteenth time, offered our young ones a bit of the marrow from the bone.

Not that I wanted to share it with them; I just wanted to see if they would agree to a teeny tiny taste this one time. But like all the other times, they screwed up their faces to express their disgust and gave me an emphatic “no.”

I have tried countless times to get them to eat – or at least taste – things that are good for them to no avail. Our oldest, who is a fitness enthusiast, has repeatedly said that as much as he aims to maintain a balanced and healthy diet daily, he is not willing to eat anything that tastes nasty.

The girls may not be as careful about their eating habits as their brother, but the same rule applies for them – nothing that is nasty tasting is going into their mouths.

NASTY ARROW ROOTS

So me and my delicious bone marrow were left to bond as they looked on completely uninterested. The same goes for arrow roots, which they say taste like ashes as far as they’re concerned.

 Now I am not sure when or where they tasted ashes to enable them to make such a comparison, but they are equally emphatic that they’re not putting any of that healthy, fibrous carbohydrate in their mouths. So it’s up to the hubby and I to keep each other company whenever I manage to find fresh arrow roots at a good bargain.

MONEY FOR A TASTE OF LIVER

And then there’s liver, more popularly known as ‘black nyama’ by the younger generation in my house. Ever since they were tiny tots, they clamp their lips shut at any attempts to get them to eat this organ meat that is said to be good for keeping the brain healthy.

 I once put hard cash on the dining table for anyone who would put just one piece of liver in their mouths. It was hilarious to watch them look longingly at the money then glare at the ‘black nyama’ that stood in the way.

In the end, all three, despite their love for money, turned down the offer. They said the price – a mere bite of liver – was simply too high.

MAGIC ‘DAWA’

I developed a nasty cold and cough two weeks ago and decided to defeat it with the tried and tested lemon-ginger-honey concoction otherwise known as ‘dawa’. But I decided to add another home remedy for good measure and this one was not so yummy.

Three times a day, I religiously took a tablespoonful of turmeric powder mixed with a drop of honey and warm water to combat the cough and irritation in my throat.

Our older girl even took it upon herself to ensure that I was taking the ‘medicine’ – mixing it herself and standing over me while I closed my eyes and gulped the unpleasant mixture down.

Well, what do you know? A few days ago she developed a tickling in her throat and suspected she was coming down with a cold.

 I was only too eager to recommend the same mixture, which I made myself and presented to her! The look on her face as it hit her tongue and went down was priceless. She was able to empathise with me and also experience its effects as she woke up the next morning with no trace of illness.

Perhaps now she will be more open to trying foods I recommend for her well-being, and I can then use her to influence her siblings.

It is nothing short of a miracle that the three have started appreciating traditional vegetables and ugali that does not come from the supermarket. But I do wonder what tactics they will use to make their own young ones eat foods that are good for them when the time comes…