I wasn't really prepared for the question: "What the f*#% is TVP?" when I served up my first vegetarian chili of the season, proudly announcing that the chunks of "beef" weren’t really beef at all. Now I know that not everyone embraces healthier concoctions. There was a whole series of pasta adds that I recall from a year or two ago featuring a family whose wife did everything from running the tap to making loud noises while describing the dinner's ingredients to her husband. "You know what that leads to don't you? Socks and sandals!" was a favorite tagline used by the husband to describe people who eat whole wheat pasta.
I can buy into the fact that one "likes what they like". However, often has been the case where people in my life have eaten foods that they couldn't necessarily identify at the time, proclaimed they liked, and then upon discovering what it was changed their mind. Case and point with the food program at an alternative school where I used to teach. After being disgusted by the food given to our kids on a daily basis, I made a pitch to the principal to fire the caterer and allow me to cook for the lunch program of around 60, mostly inner city kids. Now at the time I had been vegetarian for a number of years, so I wasn’t prepared to cook meat of any kind. Plus we had many Jewish children who required Kosher preparations and who consistently received substandard meals.
Letters went out to all of the parents informing them of the proposed change. I had literally DOZENS of parents come in to discuss with me the fact that their children would *never* eat vegetables of any kind, never mind tofu or beans. All that I asked for was a shot at two weeks to try the program out and see if it would fly. Almost every parent agreed (I believe partially for the fact to prove me wrong) and away we went.
The menu was diverse and included at every seating included a vegetarian protein source, a side of veg or whole grain carb, fresh cut veggies with a bean dip of some kind, as well as small portions of whole grain bread acquired from a local bakery. Fruit was always served for desert. The cut veg and dips and bread were placed communally around the table with serving spoons to share and children were encouraged to take what they wanted and try the different tastes.
On the first day I came into the dining room and promised them that I would never serve anything “gross”. All that I asked was for a “three bite rule” – If after three bites they hated the food they didn’t have to eat it – But there was nothing else for them to have. Lunchroom staff were told to support this, and kids who were resistant were seated next to children who were more willing to try new things.
I think on the first four days I had a half dozen or so holdouts. They wouldn’t even try one bite. By the end of the second week plates were coming back completely clear and children were eating bigger portions and more fruits and veg than they ever had before. Parents came to talk to me in droves and asked how I managed it. My response was simple: Picky parents with picky tastes make for picky children. When food was presented with no pretense other than we were trying something new, and I promised that it would not be “gross” there was no emotional “stuff” around it. So even the most stubborn kids ended up trying the food when nothing else was offered. And much to everyone’s surprise they consistently wanted seconds of “chicken” and “yummy dips”
Growing up in our family when we asked what was for dinner we were told "fried toads on toast" or "Iffits". It is only later in life that I discovered that this meant "If it's on your plate, you're gonna eat it". We ate everything from Indian cuisine, Japanese and Chinese food, to every type of offal, and varying cut of meat, as well as every vegetable and fruit under the sun. So, in credit largely to my mother for cooking, and my father for shopping, I have developed a broad palate, and love a variety of ethnic cuisines, tastes, and textures. And my spouse is slowing coming around. Instead of just pretending that the eggplant tacos are ground beef (whoops, sorry) I now say that they are what they are. And although right now I have to field fun questions like “What the F#$* is TVP?!”, I know that in time, like the fact that she can now eat hotter Indian food than me, that she too will eventually come around.
I can buy into the fact that one "likes what they like". However, often has been the case where people in my life have eaten foods that they couldn't necessarily identify at the time, proclaimed they liked, and then upon discovering what it was changed their mind. Case and point with the food program at an alternative school where I used to teach. After being disgusted by the food given to our kids on a daily basis, I made a pitch to the principal to fire the caterer and allow me to cook for the lunch program of around 60, mostly inner city kids. Now at the time I had been vegetarian for a number of years, so I wasn’t prepared to cook meat of any kind. Plus we had many Jewish children who required Kosher preparations and who consistently received substandard meals.
Letters went out to all of the parents informing them of the proposed change. I had literally DOZENS of parents come in to discuss with me the fact that their children would *never* eat vegetables of any kind, never mind tofu or beans. All that I asked for was a shot at two weeks to try the program out and see if it would fly. Almost every parent agreed (I believe partially for the fact to prove me wrong) and away we went.
The menu was diverse and included at every seating included a vegetarian protein source, a side of veg or whole grain carb, fresh cut veggies with a bean dip of some kind, as well as small portions of whole grain bread acquired from a local bakery. Fruit was always served for desert. The cut veg and dips and bread were placed communally around the table with serving spoons to share and children were encouraged to take what they wanted and try the different tastes.
On the first day I came into the dining room and promised them that I would never serve anything “gross”. All that I asked was for a “three bite rule” – If after three bites they hated the food they didn’t have to eat it – But there was nothing else for them to have. Lunchroom staff were told to support this, and kids who were resistant were seated next to children who were more willing to try new things.
I think on the first four days I had a half dozen or so holdouts. They wouldn’t even try one bite. By the end of the second week plates were coming back completely clear and children were eating bigger portions and more fruits and veg than they ever had before. Parents came to talk to me in droves and asked how I managed it. My response was simple: Picky parents with picky tastes make for picky children. When food was presented with no pretense other than we were trying something new, and I promised that it would not be “gross” there was no emotional “stuff” around it. So even the most stubborn kids ended up trying the food when nothing else was offered. And much to everyone’s surprise they consistently wanted seconds of “chicken” and “yummy dips”
Growing up in our family when we asked what was for dinner we were told "fried toads on toast" or "Iffits". It is only later in life that I discovered that this meant "If it's on your plate, you're gonna eat it". We ate everything from Indian cuisine, Japanese and Chinese food, to every type of offal, and varying cut of meat, as well as every vegetable and fruit under the sun. So, in credit largely to my mother for cooking, and my father for shopping, I have developed a broad palate, and love a variety of ethnic cuisines, tastes, and textures. And my spouse is slowing coming around. Instead of just pretending that the eggplant tacos are ground beef (whoops, sorry) I now say that they are what they are. And although right now I have to field fun questions like “What the F#$* is TVP?!”, I know that in time, like the fact that she can now eat hotter Indian food than me, that she too will eventually come around.
3 comments:
Lets just hope that my digestive system, which is still upside down four days later, will adjust. I AM optimistic, though, my Love.
keep on cookin'!
ld
Although, i STILL don't know what the F#&@ it is!
I love TVP. Just make sure to label it correctly because TVP looks an awful lot like Bulk Barn grape nuts and are not very delicious with milk and brown sugar.
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