Andy tried a new food...

Most of you SPD Mommies have been through the ever popular food battles that often occur with our SPD kiddos.

Andy has never been a good eater. Well, I take that back. He was a GREAT eater until around his second birthday. Then he stopped eating most everything.

His list of appropriate foods is limited. He does not try new things. If it doesn't look right/smell right/feel right, he isn't going to eat it.

On Monday, we went to a neighbor's house to swim. She said, "I put some toasted raviolis in the toaster oven for the kids."

I just politely smiled. No way was he going to eat that.

It's frustrating to deal with these food issues on a daily basis. We can't go anywhere without planning ahead. Will they have anything that he will eat? Do we need to bring something else for him? Do we need to replenish our stock of Uncrustables?

I'll admit most people probably think it's kind of weird for me to show up to a birthday party or other event and take out a pbj for my son while all the other kids are enjoying hot dogs. But that's just the way it is.

The worst part is the "looks" people who don't get it give me when I whip out whatever I brought for my SPD kiddo to eat. There are looks of shock, surprise, and disgust. I've been told more than once that I should just force him to eat, he will eat it if he's hungry enough, I'm enabling him by offering something different, etc. My favorites are the people (mostly in my family) who try to guilt him or trick him into trying something he doesn't want. Not a good idea.

Luckily my neighbor gets it. She also got out some grapes and cherries because she knew Andy liked grapes. Then when he complained because the grapes were touching the cherries, she hand picked all of the cherries out of the bowl for him. I wouldn't have even done that. LOL!

When they were done cooking, I put the toasted raviolis on a plate and put them in front of the boys. Andy picked one up, looked at it strangely, and asked me what the "black flecks on top of it was". I told him it was spices.

To my surprise, he picked it up, licked it, then he took a bite. Then he took another. About that time, after the second bite, he got to the meat that was inside. He grimaced, shuddered, and put it down.

"There's something in it, Mom!" he said.

I said, "I know. It's meat."

He hates meat. There are only a few types of meat he will eat. I thought for sure this was the end of the toasted ravioli.

He stared at it for a minute, and I could tell he was deep in thought.

Then he picked the ravioli back up, said, "I like it anyway" and finished it off.

I was shocked. Granted, he didn't eat any more of them, but for him to try something new like that was amazing!

I'm not sure he will eat them again, but I'm so, so proud of him for at least trying them.