I recently gave my ten year old son an apple and after briefly examining the fruit, he immediately discarded it as bad. Looking puzzled, I asked him why.
He pointed to a tiny brown hole (indentation), said that the apple was rotten and that he did not want to eat it.
My son has eaten both organic and inorganic fruits and vegetables. The inorganic fruits are usually perfectly shaped, shiny, firm, and free from blemishes. Simply put, the organic fruits are not.
Having grown up in a world of identical looking, factory processed food products, he concluded that any blemish, any bruise, any discoloration must be a mistake and should not be eaten. I hope that I did not contribute to an eating disorder or unhealthy eating preferences.
After cutting the apple into slices, I showed my son that the inside of the apple was not rotten. He was not entirely convinced, but he ate the apple anyway and secretly threw the slice with the hole in the garbage.
Much has been written comparing the benefits between organic and inorganic fruits and vegetables. By giving my son perfect looking inorganic fruit and junk food, we accidently gave him the impression that all non-perfect looking food is bad and should not be eaten.
He has eaten the blemish free foods from McDonalds without complaint. But any bit of meat, turkey, or chicken that contains visible fat, skin, or burnt edges is discarded.
My son’s nutritional beliefs need to change. He needs to learn that nature produces food that is highly nutritious but not perfect looking. He needs to learn that pure foods are not homogenous in taste, looks, and consistency. He needs to appreciate and value the tastes of real food. At ten years of age, I believe that this is achievable.
