Feeding Your Family Fast Food and The Guilt That Comes With It

Being a parent is hard, but it's even harder when your child is super picky about what he eats.  I try my hardest to cook home made from scratch meals every night, but sometimes I'm just too tired.

When I say my son is a picky eater, it's not what you think.  See my son isn't any ordinary child who likes McDonalds and candy.  Oh no!  He only wants healthy food.  It is kind of unreal.

What four year old would rather have fresh bell pepper over candy?  That is my son.  His idea of junk food is fruit because its sweet.  He hardly ever eats meat and if he does its usually chicken.

I don't mind that he is picky because at least I know he is healthy.  What bugs me is when he throws a fit about eating a healthy meal.  Yesterday was such a long day.  I got out of work and was just go, go, go.  And on top of that I felt a small cold coming on.

When dinner time came, I realized that I desperately needed to go to the grocery store and I wasn't feeling it.  So I decided that I'd run by and pick up some fast food.  This would help me in so many ways.  I could put off grocery shopping for another day, there wouldn't be any dishes to wash, and I could spend that extra time with my son.

I walk in carrying bags of fast food and my son's eyes filled with tears.  I asked him what was wrong and he said that he didn't want to eat that.  He said that all he wanted was some broccoli or asparagus.  Yes, my four year old was crying because he wanted to eat vegetables and I was forcing him to eat chicken nuggets and fries.

I told him that I was sorry but this is what was for dinner and he could eat it or not eat at all. My son chose not to eat.  Instead he laid on the couch crying until he passed out.  I was immediately filled with guilt.  I was tired so I was taking the easy way out.  All he wanted was a few vegetables.  I should feel lucky, most parents fight because their kids don't want to eat the veggies.

What made me feel even more guilty was that my husband said you know we have been eating a lot of fast food lately.  We usually eat no fast food and if we do, it is really a rare occasion.  This made three times in two weeks that we had fast food.

So I did what any other mom would do.  I went to the grocery store and bought my baby broccoli, asparagus, carrots and as a special treat blackberries and strawberries.  When I got home, I woke him up and told him I was sorry for forcing him to eat things that, in his words, tasted weird.  He forgave me with a loving hug and ate until he was full.

I'm not sure why he is so different and only eats healthy things, but I am sure glad he is the way he is.  That is just another thing that makes him so special!