The other day my son asked for plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit, granola and honey. It turns out he had been hanging out with the South Africans next door when this was on the menu. The kids there eat it, Nick tried it and decided he’d like to take the idea home.
Perhaps it’s his Armenian genes. More likely it’s the influence of peers on diet preference. It shouldn’t be underestimated. Beginning in late toddlerhood, social circumstances begin to influence what children do with food. They begin to eat for reasons beyond their metabolic demand. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing but it can be exploited.
While you may not have South African expats living next door, we’ve all got people in our network who eat better than we do. Find them, introduce your kids and be amazed.