“I Can’t Believe What I’ve Been Missing!”

Something big occurred yesterday. Really big.

Max ate a cheeseburger.

OK, so that may not seem like a big deal to anyone but me. But trust me, it’s big. Huge.

First, let me say that food has never been a priority to Max. He’s always felt that eating interrupts the important things like Lego building or playing on the computer or doing other things critical to a kid.

Max was good about trying most foods and except for his first and only experience with peas, he was fairly agreeable. That changed at 2 when he began to turn his nose up at the things he always loved. After much discussion with the pediatrician (and my mother) it was explained to me that he wasn’t going to starve and that as long as he was eating fairly nutritious things—even over and over—he would be just fine but to keep trying to introduce new foods to him. And I did…dressing them up, making fun shapes, mixing pureed vegetables into mac & cheese (um, yes, he busted me fast on that one) and even making up songs/dances about just how good something would be. Not my finest moments but I tried everything.

For the past few years, his top/only items include fish sticks (Fisher Boy brand), chicken nuggets (Tyson), turkey and provolone sandwiches (Subway & City Bites), peanut butter (eaten with a spoon, not on bread) and sliced cheese (Kraft). Throw in Goldfish crackers, Cheerios, yogurt, milk, applesauce, mandarin oranges and milk and that is basically his list of approved foods. Oh, and anything chocolate.

“You just don’t know what you might be missing,” I would tell him. “I bet you would like this if you would just try—even one little bite.”

“But Mom, I don’t like that, I just know it.”

“How do you know unless you try, Max?”

“I just know, Mom, trust me.”

This has been a common conversation over the past few years. Almost daily.

But for whatever reason, last night at McDonald’s he decided to try a cheeseburger. And he loved it. Saying he had “NO IDEA what he had been missing all these years and it was SO GOOD.” Though next time, no pickles or mustard.

And while I am thrilled he’s added a new food to his approved list, in my mind the bigger accomplishment is that Max realized that unless you are open to new things and step out of what is comfortable or familiar, you never know what wonderful thing might be out there.

Not bad for me to remember either.