Do you suppose that people in other nations, with other food resources, freak out if their kids don't eat a food that is particular to their geographical location?

I think the “freaking out” you’re talking about is mostly over getting them to eat vegetables, or meat…something healthy. Or, it may be something regarding a food that is plentiful (and therefore affordable) that they have to get the kids to eat.

I don’t see them freaking out over something like them not eating meatloaf because it’s, you know, customary.

Not really. But I’ve never been out of the states, so what do I know?

We live in Norway. I grew up in the US, but lived in New Zealand almost half my life. I worry if my son doesn’t eat a variety of food, but I buy food from all over. Sweet potatoes from the States, corn on the cob from (of all places) Thailand…

My husband has a more emotional connection to the traditional food here and he does feel a bit hurt when he cooks something traditional and the kids don’t like it. The eat a lot of pork here and me and my little guy don’t like it. They also love to kill their food several times over. They preserve it in odd ways, like drying, pickling… even storing it with salt and/or sugar. It’s often two against one in our house when it comes to meal planning, which causes some problems. My husband likes to cook and often bullies us into his meals because of his emtional attachment to the food (Like cod’s heads, livers and tongues, lutefisk, rommegrøt…). I try to make sure there are extra veggies on the table for the little man and I because my husband only seems to think that potatoes are enough of a veg.

I just want to get him to eat food that is good for him. His tastes are changing all the time as he grows and tries things.

Gadzooks, I would imagine in most other nations than here people eat to live, not live to eat. They view food as nurishment for the body more than recration or celebration. In many places the choices are very slim or the amount woeful so they don’t care what it is they will eat it because it is food, and if they pass it up they have no real ideal when they will get the chance to eat again.

@cazzie It drives me nuts when I have to deal with people with food issues, and anyone who gets emotional about food has issues! I hate it when people try to force you to eat, or eat more, or eat this or eat that…it’s food, for crying out loud. It’s a simple, basic necessity, like air and water, nothing more. There is no more reason to get emotional about how a person breathes than how they eat.