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Lots of new adoptive parents report that their new kids are picky about food at first, especially kids older than toddler age. American food can be very different from Ethiopian food, and the newness of it all can be overwhelming.
Foods most commonly refused by new kids include: bacon, cold cereal, milk, frosting, hot dogs, unpeeled fruit, oatmeal, pizza, and soup. An especially hated item (by many kids anyway) seems to be cheese, especially if it has been melted.
Some people have reported that their kids will eat macaroni and cheese if berbere is liberally sprinkled on top. In fact many parents have found berbere to be a very useful transitioning tool. Kept in a salt shaker on the table, it can allow the child to put a sprinkle of home on the vast sea of newness showing up at the table each meal.
Some foods that may be familiar to the child include: hard-boiled or scrambled eggs on a roll, yogurt, rice, lentils (with berbere), spaghetti and other pasta, popcorn (sprinkled with sugar!), potato chips, and soda. One parent commented that her child existed on peanut butter, bread, and bananas for the first week or two.
Familiar fruits and vegetables will probably include: oranges, apples, mangoes, papaya, pineapple, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, Carrots, corn, yams, green beans, onions (sauteed), potatoes, and tomato sauces.
Other things that new kids have really enjoyed include: bread, pancakes, salsa, cookies, and ramen noodle soup (with berbere, of course!)
Some folks have gotten protein down their kids in the form of hardboiled eggs, chicken, nuggets, fish sticks, and hamburger.
As far as dairy goes, chocolate milk or warm milk with sugar may be liked. Tea with lots of sugar is another common drink served to children in Ethiopia.
Some older girls have arrived home already knowing how to cook some simple Ethiopian recipes. Mothers have reported taking their kid to the store, letting them pick ingredients, and letting them ‘go to town’ cooking at home.
See some of my previous Ethiopian food posts for some simple recipes if you would like to try Ethiopian cooking for your child. Your efforts will doubtless be appreciated. If injera turns out to be difficult to master, try substituting french bread or flour tortillas as the bread in the meal.
Over time, your new child will probably learn to like many American food, especially if you encourage them to take a bite or two of each new thing at meals. But in those early days home, it makes a lot of sense to nurture your child by providing a familiar food or two at every meal.
And of course, every child is different. Your kid may come home loving melted cheese and hating mangoes. So offer your child a new thing or two along with the trusty favorites in those first months home. Here’s one easy jazz-up of a simple recipe that may be enjoyed by a newly arrived child.
Ethiopian-Style Home Fries
Slice 6 potatos french-fry style. In a plastic bag, toss potatos with about 1/4 cup of oil, a bit of salt, and a tablespoon or more of berbere. Spread on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until fries are browned and cooked through. Serve with plenty of ketchup–and plenty of water to drink, especially for those delicate American palates! (grin)
For us potatoes are liked, but the skin on the potatoes aren’t. Probably the same as the fruit issue.