[Sun]

Originally Posted by spritzerJ

Thank you Sun. I was thinking of it as spaghetti soup.

What is it with kids huh? LOL, I am far pickier than The General. She doesn't like food that smells "hot" (she means spicy). So for enchiladas I add pureed carrots so the sauce doesn't smell hot. Then she'll eat them up and they are healthier for me. Luckily, cumin is not hot smelling .

The General also does not like meat much. She will eat roasted chicken and beef in stew. Otherwise no thank you.

Tomatoes are one of those foods that The general loves fresh and canned. I can my own tomatoes which means they are always a part of some dish/sauce. Mini Diva is missing out, but maybe they are just too strong of a smell/taste for her. Lucky for her you keep trying.

Hi spritzer

I recall loving my Grandmothers tomato sauce from as far back as I can remember. So it always baffled me when I would come across a child that did not like tomato. Perhaps for some it is bitter. Not sure.

Sounds like The General has a strong sense of what she likes. That is awesome When I was 6 I did not like dried chili powder either. How cute that she says it smells "hot". Love that. That drying process that the red chilis go through takes away everything that I love about chili's so I never use it. Rather, I use fresh chilis and roast them. The mild ones come up sweet and savory with no heat. A nice roasted red bell pepper is sweet,so she may like that, especially if you blend it into something like tomato sauce. It is also a nutritional powerhouse.

Some of my friends complain to me that they have a lot of trouble getting the kids to eat vegetables. By age 15 there were at least a dozen vegetables that I loved so I am baffled by mini diva being so particular. Although her Mom did have a breakthrough with her last week and got her to eat spinach and green beans. I nearly passed out. Some magic was at work there. What we try to do with her is just play on the flavor profiles that she already likes, which are also limited; soy sauce, garlic & a little fresh ginger (also vinegar, water sugar, if its an Asian cucumber salad that I make) & melted cheese - muenster, mozzerella, jack, cheddar.

What did work successfully recently was getting her to drink a protein shake. That took years but Trader Joes makes a really good canned product that has no gritty texture and has 21 grams of protein per serving. Epic win.