When my 2.5-year-old was younger I went through a long period of worrying about what he ate, or more specifically, what he didn’t eat. For a while there it seemed like he lived almost exclusively on Saltines and milk, and I compulsively checked him for symptoms of scurvy. Well-meaning people gave me all kinds of suggestions for foods to offer him, but in the end he refused them all and rode out the crackers-and-dairy stage with all his teeth intact.

His palate has expanded since then, but he’s never been one of those kids who happily devours whatever Mom and Dad are having. I don’t really push that issue, especially when I’m low on time and dinner just needs to happen, even if it involves a less-than-gourmet, surely-not-approved-by-Jessica-Seinfeld meal for him. When I’m in a rush and trying to juggle two kids and get the dog and cat fed and empty the dishwasher all at the same time, I tend to go for the tried-and-true. Sure, I might be encouraging a Food Rut, but . . . well, I don’t know, I guess I’ve decided it’s not that big of a deal.

The foods my kid never refuses:
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