I think there are two types of people in this world: picky eaters* and non-picky eaters.
Beginning in sixth grade I fell into the former category.
One random day I decided I wasn’t going to eat red meat ever again. No more burgers, or steaks or Hamburger Helper (my favorite at the time).
I wish I could say that this was the result of an animal rights movement, or even an attempt to lower my risk of heart disease. It wasn’t. I did it “just ’cause”.
Many experts will argue that girls like me begin to “shun” certain foods or food groups as a way to exert power when they feel powerless over something (as many pre-teens do).
When I told my parents about my plan they said “OK” (I can only assume they figured this would be short-lived). My mom’s only real comment was: “This is my kitchen, not a restaurant.” I could choose to eat what she cooked or go hungry (which, for the record, I think they had the right attitude).
From then on, unless we were having chicken, my meals lacked serious protein. It wasn’t unusual for me to eat a plate of buttered pasta with parmesan for dinner or garlic breadsticks from Pizza Hut for lunch. Even in college, my “go-to” lunch consisted of pasta salad, Lays Baked Potato Chips and a Diet Coke. I was healthy because I wasn’t eating hamburgers and tacos. At least that’s what I convinced myself.
In grad school I eliminated all meat. Instead, I looked for anything that was ‘fat free” and/or “low calorie”. I think it’s safe to say that if you had opened up my fridge at the time you would see an arrangement of Yoplait yogurt that could rival any grocery store shelf, fat-free dressings of every kind, and Michelob Ultra (because, according to their ads, athletes drink it).
Fast forward several years and I have my husband to thank, in part, for dragging me out of this food rut. Had it not be for him, I would have never discovered some of my favorite foods: sushi, pho, eggs and WINE (just to name a few). I also have my dietitian to thank for reintroducing me to beef**. It has led me to rediscover my affinity for hamburgers. I can’t believe I deprived myself of the deliciousness for far too many years.
My Take Home Message: If you notice someone cutting foods out of their diets for no apparent reason, dig deep to find out why. It may not be as simple as you think.
Since I’m on the topic of delicious food, below is a recipe for an easy fish dish that is arguably better than anything you will get in a restaurant. Seriously.
- 2 (6-ounce) grouper fillets (we used halibut)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 12 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- Thin slices of red onion, to taste
- Thin slices of red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine (we used cava)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 lemon slices
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut two 18-inch long pieces of parchment paper. Fold in half then cut a half-circle or heart-shape. Open flat and place on a baking sheet.
- Wash fish fillets and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Place a fish fillet on the right side of the parchment paper. Top each fillet with equal amounts of tomatoes, olives, capers, red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, white wine, red pepper flakes. Top each fillet with a lemon slice.
- Place left half of parchment paper over fish and seal the edge, making small folds every ½-inch to 1-inch all the way around until completely sealed.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until parchment paper has puffed up and fish is cooked. Transfer to a plate and with scissors, cut into the top of the packet, being careful and aware of the hot steam that will escape.
thirtystars 
Katie,
After I read this I got to thinking a lot about my neighbor. She is going into 7th grade and is always asking me questions about how to get skinny. I of course talk to her about being healthy not skinny, especially since she wants to play basketball, but after a dinner we had at her house last night I noticed what you were talking about. We had steak, baked potatoes, and and other sides and she refused to eat the steak. She got a small baked potato and put the toppings on it and ate a slice of bread. After dinner I asked her why she didn’t want to eat the delicious steak and it was because she didn’t want to get fat. Because of reading this post I was ready to talk to her about the importance of giving her body nutrition and what types of foods did that. I teach 3rd grade so I don’t see this that much but thank you for sharing your story. You really are helping others near and far!! 🙂
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Wow Meggie! Thank you for sharing! It only takes one person to make a big difference, and I’m sure you (at the very least) got her thinking about actions and consequences. All too often people assume kids/girls who have issues are getting help for them, but parents can be so busy or uneducated on the topic that it goes unnoticed. Thank you for being so caring! 🙂
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