Kid Food

Kids and their relationship to food has often been something I worry/wonder/amuse over.
I worry about my own two children and if I am giving them all they need in their diet. This is something I think all parents tend to worry about from time to time.
I also worry about what we as a society are telling our kids about food. Here's an example.
Go to your favorite restaurant. Look at the kids menu. What's on it? Chicken fingers, a burger, hot dog, and if you're lucky some mac & cheese.
Now, go to the restaurant that you dislike the most. Look at the kids menu. What's on it? See what I'm getting at here? No? o.k.
We are telling our kids "Don't eat what we're eating. You won't like it. Here, eat this instead, it's fried, you'll like it, it's the same thing you eat every time we go out."
We need to encourage our children to have the same variety in food and life that we like to enjoy.
Next time you go out, don't even get a kids menu. Let them order off of the normal menu instead, help them choose something you know they'll like. Make it a big deal, they get to order off of the "Adult menu!"
The things I wonder about are usually how my children interact with food. "Should I make them stay and eat the entire meal or should I let them come back to it and pick at it here and there"
I don't want to encourage my kids to over eat, or under eat for that matter, and it's a hard decision to sometimes make them clean their plate. I tend to let them tell me when they're done, or I ask.
The things I amuse over. Any young child eating and finally giving in, putting down the silverware, and diving in, face and hands first. I love it.
Enjoy your food, and encourage your kids to do the same.

Ohh, and who doesn't love a good food fight.