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Favorite Food Day
by Wes Fessler
Have you ever been able to get everyone in your family to actually
enjoy a meal at the same time? It seems that a majority of the time in my family there is
at least one person who wrinkles their nose in disgust at whatever I make. Admittedly, I
am not a gourmet chef, but neither do I consider my food to be worthy of the shuddering
looks and gasps of dismay it commonly receives from a woeful minority.
How rare and how sweet are the occasions when the whole family sits together and as a
whole enjoys the meal before them. Most of the time life is too busy to accommodate
everyone’s individual taste, but once in a while it is a pleasure to all to enjoy a
Favorite Food Day.
What is Favorite Food Day?
Favorite Food Day is a day when every meal has something for the whole family to enjoy.
To some this may sound too good to be true, but it is not as difficult as it may seem. To
a large extent families are forced to eat foods on a daily basis that are merely
tolerated in an effort to accommodate life’s busy agenda. For many there is not
enough time to prepare meals that everyone will enjoy when work, school, and extraneous
tasks place demands on everyone’s attention and time. The sad truth is that many
families have little choice but to reach for the staple foods that get simply get them
out the door on time. For this reason, Favorite Food Days are to be enjoyed on days when
the family can relax and take time for meals. Weekends are an ideal time for many
families with a brief respite from work and school.
The Truth About Food
The saying goes, “Food is the way to a man’s heart.” This is only
partly true. Food is the way to everyone’s heart. The point of Favorite Food Day is
to enjoy a day when food makes everyone happy. There are to be no repulsed expressions,
complaints, or plates scraped into trash cans on this day. Favorite Food Day is a day
when the whole family returns in some small way to the days of infancy when food was
wonderful! Even with the more developed tastes that come with age, there is something
that everyone enjoys. The aim of Favorite Food Day is to supply the foods that leave
everyone smiling, and too satisfied to complain.
Let Everyone Know it’s Favorite Food
Day
Although your natural inclination may be to surprise your family with this special day,
it can be more helpful to tell them about it before the fun begins. By telling them that
you intend to have a Favorite Food Day, you give them an opportunity to be excited about
the meals you will prepare for them. This significantly decreases the possibility that
someone will approach the table with a negative attitude about the meals of the day.
Informing them of your intentions for a Favorite Food Day will give them a reason to be
excited about the food for the day, and place them in a mindset of something good to
come.
How Do You Make The Whole Family
Happy?
Obviously the goal of Favorite Food Day is to please the entire family with the meals of
the day. How this is to be accomplished will vary depending on many things (cooking
ability, preferences of the family, attitudes, etc.) but here are a few suggestions that
can help just about any family:
| Keep notes on your
family's favorite foods |
On normal days, make a note of
the meals that your family especially enjoys. Also make a note of who specifically
doesn’t like the meal. Once in a while you will find something that everyone likes.
Be sure to remember those meals, because for many they are few and far between. These are
the meals to have on Favorite Food Day. |
| Have alternative meals for the
finicky |
If you can’t find a meal that
satisfies everyone, prepare a second meal especially to satisfy those who you know
won’t like the main meal. Sure, it is more work, but it is a special occasion and
the idea is to please everyone. |
| Include treats! |
In addition to the main meal, have a
selection of special treats with some variety that you know your family likes. The treats
don’t have to be fattening. Be creative and be sure to provide something that
everyone can enjoy. |
| Take everyone out for a meal |
Take the family out for one of the meals.
Sometimes it can add to the pleasure of Favorite Food Day to take the family out to eat.
Taking the family out can alleviate some of the effort and mess of cooking at home. Try
to find a place that everyone likes. |
| Get some help |
Get the family involved in preparation and
clean up. Don’t make one person do all of the cooking and all of the clean up. The
idea is for everyone to enjoy Favorite Food Day and leave no room for complaint. Share
the tasks and the rewards of the good food. |
| Don't overdo it! |
Make Favorite Food Day a once in a while
treat. This is a day that the whole family should look forward to and be excited about.
If this occasion becomes too repetitive it may not be appreciated as much, and could lead
to poor eating habits. The idea is for Favorite Food Day to bring happiness not extra
weight. |
| Do it together |
Share each meal together as a family. Make
the meals a time for talking together and enjoying one another’s company. Turn off
the TV for a while if you need to and avoid anything that may detract from the quality of
your family time. Make each meal a pleasant family experience. |
It is a rewarding feeling to see that everyone at the table is pleased
with their food. To carry this feeling through the meals of an entire day is another
experience altogether. Favorite Food Day is a day when families look forward to mealtimes
with great anticipation and without complaint. It is a special occasion that the whole
family can enjoy and participate in together.
- Article by Wes Fessler
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