What no meal plan? Again!

Copyright Orsorama 2006 - Creative commons

Another week, another #mealplanningmonday and guess what - yep, you've got it, I don't have a meal plan!

Worse, I am still churning out last week's excuse that I have / had a third birthday party to organise.  Hmmm ... really must make sure it's not three weeks on the trot!  However, despite totally winging it last week - both fish fingers and sausages did feature as predicted - I did make a little bit of progress in my plan to convert the carnivore into a child who will eat veg and fruit in their native or gently cooked form rather than pulverised into an inch of their life!

The principles behind the plan are to:

1. Build on non-meaty things she likes e.g. cheese sauce, houmous
2. Offer things that physically look similar to things she likes
3. Try to get as many different flavours AND textures in her mouth as possible over 10 week period so her taste buds start to get used to them and don't instinctively think they may be poisonous - (interestingly nearly all young mammals are programmed to behave like this so that they don't poison themselves!)
4. Get her by fair means and foul to eat a half a plate of something new at least once a week so she starts to believe she does like new things (other than new cuts of meat & flavours of cheese)
5. In the interests of achieving 3 and 4 tolerate some otherwise non-desirable behaviour e.g. eating with fingers, being helped, sitting on my knee ... I know tut, tut, tut but food more important for moment!

Copyright Kari Söderholm 2008 - Creative Commons Licence

So anyway, last Friday these high-falutin principles got a test drive and she was offered Tagliatelle with a Pea and Lettuce Cream Sauce. It sounds a bit digusting but it's out of Leith's Vegetable Bible and is really quite yummy and a good way of using up left over cream. It basically involves the following steps:

• Fry until soft a couple of shallots in some butter and oil
• Add a couple of 100gs / 6-7oz of defrosted frozen peas & cook for a minute
• Stir in 2 small shredded lettuces and 150ml / a quarter pint of vegetable stock
• Bring to boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes
• Add 5 tablespoons double cream, 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, squeeze of lemon juice 
• Stir into 3-400g / 12-14 oz of tagliatelle

The aim with this offering was to introduce new flavours rather than textures and so her veg and cream was blended.  Despite the fact it closely resembled the spinach in cheese sauce - it was very green! - that she happily wolfs down, there was a total meltdown and tantrum when she saw what was on offer and was told that there wasn't anything else.

The first few mouthfuls were spat out - which I won't tolerate under any circumstances! - and she then claimed that the problem was that it was "too saucy". So a vague pretence was made to remove the sauce - almost none was actually removed - and bit by bit it was passed back to her plate and bit by bit it was eaten with fingers AND with great relish until her face was covered with green sauce and her plate was empty!

Victory is mine! (And next week I promise faithfully to have a meal plan ....)

If you've converted a carnivore or you're still struggling with another fussy eater do come and tell me about it on  Facebook and Twitter.

I'm linking this post up with the fabulous #mealplanningmonday parties at At Home with Mrs M, Meatless Mondays and I'm An Organizing Junkie.  It's also linked to the wonderful Sunday Parenting Party at Taming the Goblin and to Serenity Now.