Indoctrination: Food
The Whompton adults are all about food politics and have a collection of Food Bibles that we recommend everyone read: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (or anything by Pollan really), Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. They all have the same premise: processed food is bad, local food is best! We've embraced that mentality as much as we can. We've belonged to numerous CSAs (which contract with local farmers), patronized numerous farmer's markets (including our favorite Thies Farm), purchase limited out-of-season fruit and vegetables (bananas primarily), select very few items from the center of the grocery store (crackers and cereal), eat a mostly vegetarian diet, and support locally-owned restaurants. We even plan out which restaurants we'll hit on long drives, so we don't get stuck eating at McDonald's or something equally as horrible. Whomptons are food snobs, plain and simple.
As a result, the Whompton adults have never experienced kid pressure to get chicken nuggets or a Happy Meal -- those items are just not on the kids' radar. Raina, aged 3, watched the morning news with Eric and the news segment was about the 30th anniversary of the Happy Meal. Raina watched it and then declared "That looks disgusting!" The adults cackled with glee -- we'd not prompted that response, and we were so overjoyed for her to make the realization on her own. Let's face it, selecting food because it's cheap does not make it appetizing!
The Whompton kids eat copious amounts of other foods, though, and they are willing to try almost any food. Spring foods are spinach and beets and strawberries and blackberries; summer foods are zucchini and squash and green beans and tomatoes and peppers; autumn foods are potatoes and sweet potatoes and winter squashes; winter foods are dried beans and soups and homemade bread. We eat so much of each season's food that we rejoice when the new season arrives; we haven't eaten those foods in 9 months and it's great to have them back. We had our first spinach and pickled beet salad of the spring last week and it was so luscious!
Growing up with the Hagan farm gave me a connection to food and seasons and flavor -- and guilt when I sit down with a meal of all one color. We're indoctrinating the kids early and often, and I hope that they keep our food politics intact after they leave the Whompton nest.
As a result, the Whompton adults have never experienced kid pressure to get chicken nuggets or a Happy Meal -- those items are just not on the kids' radar. Raina, aged 3, watched the morning news with Eric and the news segment was about the 30th anniversary of the Happy Meal. Raina watched it and then declared "That looks disgusting!" The adults cackled with glee -- we'd not prompted that response, and we were so overjoyed for her to make the realization on her own. Let's face it, selecting food because it's cheap does not make it appetizing!
The Whompton kids eat copious amounts of other foods, though, and they are willing to try almost any food. Spring foods are spinach and beets and strawberries and blackberries; summer foods are zucchini and squash and green beans and tomatoes and peppers; autumn foods are potatoes and sweet potatoes and winter squashes; winter foods are dried beans and soups and homemade bread. We eat so much of each season's food that we rejoice when the new season arrives; we haven't eaten those foods in 9 months and it's great to have them back. We had our first spinach and pickled beet salad of the spring last week and it was so luscious!
Growing up with the Hagan farm gave me a connection to food and seasons and flavor -- and guilt when I sit down with a meal of all one color. We're indoctrinating the kids early and often, and I hope that they keep our food politics intact after they leave the Whompton nest.
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