Beggars Can't Be Choosers, But They May Die

Dinner conversation yesterday turned to my youngest son who was decrying the menu. He is a rather picky eater and can be a real challenge. My daughter recommended this topic for a post. I know how he feels as I was awful as a kid. I'm not sure how I survived to adulthood. One thing that I learned as I entered adulthood was that beggars can't be choosers. It was a hard lesson, but one that I took seriously.

No, I am not talking about living on ramen in college. I had never heard of ramen my freshman year in the dorms. What changed for me? I lived in South Korea for two years, eating with and living with Koreans. I couldn't handle SpaghettiOs as a kid because it was too spicy. (Yes, I was bad!) Well, those who know anything about Korea cuisine know that spicy doesn't quite cover it in describing the food.

How did I learn to eat strange food in Korea? Two things made a difference for me. First, I was taught to be polite. When I was offered something that I "knew" I would hate, I ate it anyway. (OK, I did refuse green tomatoes, but the host did too.) Funny thing about it was that I found I liked most of it. That which was less than palatable was choked down with a smile. I ate better than I ever had in the States and I learned valuable lessons about courtesy and trying new things. The second thing was that I was often hungry and was willing to try something I wasn't used to in order fill my gullet.

Sounds great, doesn't it? The big problem is that most people when confronted with an emergency will not try eating something with which they are not familiar. I have watched my son leave a full plate of beans or salad because he, "didn't like it," and go to bed hungry. Some days he will eat it, others he won't. Reason will not get him to eat when he isn't stressed out. There is no way any argument will get him to eat when he is stressed. The end result will be that if he doesn't have food he likes in an emergency, he will starve rather than eat something he thinks he doesn't like. Older folks often have the same reaction, and picky adults do too.

So, when packing a 72-hour kit, remember that you need food that your family will eat. We pack granola bars and MREs that are likable by each individual in the family. My wife and I get the least desirable packs among our kids. My wife and I have eaten a lot of MREs and though a few were less than what I'd normally eat, I never had one I wouldn't eat, so I'm fine with the dregs for myself.

The same will apply to longer term food storage. If you don't have foods that your family will eat normally, meals may turn into real trials. Boredom with the menu may also affect how your family eats, so there needs to be something to break up the monotony. I'll discuss this in greater depth later. Just remember that the idea that they'll eat if they are hungry enough is not true.

- Mark

Value is based on perception.