Spencer, my older son, will eat nearly any fruit or vegetable I put in front of him or pack in his lunch. Tucker, my younger son, will not. The apple might have a bruise. The banana might have a bruise. The clementine is too citrusy; the canteloupe cubes are too soft. I can't win.
For awhile, I bought little fruit cups with mixed fruit in juice. As I was going to the store one day, I asked him if he was eating them.
"Well..." he hedged. "I just think there's a better way to get fruit in me."
I asked for suggestions but he turned down each suggestion. Applesauce? Boxes of raisins?
"How about apple slices?" I asked. I knew he didn't like the whole apple because of his braces.
"Nah, they turn brown by lunch time," he said.
I had tried adding lemon juice to them, but he didn't like the taste then.
At the store, I walked through the produce section, trying to land on a fruit he might eat. That's when I saw them.
For a kid who only wants to eat processed food, this was the answer:
Pre-packaged apple slices.
Six packages in a box and they come with little cups of caramel sauce to dip them in.
I know what you're thinking, but don't judge. I've made lots of mothering decisions I never thought I'd make. The sound of that plastic wrap ripping open must be more satisfying than the crunch of a bite into a crisp apple. To each his own.
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