Food for Social Events

Our Wednesday Wisdom is one of my favorite quotes from Julia Child!

I saw the quote recently and it reminded me of a trick I use often as a parent of a picky eater. When we’re invited somewhere, I do two things.

First, I ask the host if there is anything we can bring.  If they give me a specific need, I bring that and otherwise, I offer to bring something healthy which I know Mikey will eat.  So, for example, I might offer to bring a veggie tray because I know I can get him to have some of the red peppers and baby carrots. Or,  (during his watermelon phase) I might have offered to bring watermelon to a summer BBQ because I knew he would have been happy to have some.

Second, I pack a bag of snacks and treats especially for Michael. If we’ll be eating a meal at the gathering, I pack his lunchbox from school with things he loves to eat. I also bring snacks like popcorn, an apple, yogurt, etc… Finally, I also hide some candy in my purse in case I need to bribe him to give us an extra five minutes to say goodbye politely when he has had enough social time for the day.