In article >,
Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> Kimberly's reply in Jill's thread, "Let's Talk About Picky Eater's Again
> <G>" got me to wondering if there is a difference between picky and
> fussy.

OK, let's try another one. I don't think this guy is either one, but
we'll see what people say. I'll call him G, because his name is Gordon.

My wife has been cooking for a church activity called Coming of Age this
year. There are about six churches involved, all within about 50 miles.
There are about fifty people, forty kids and ten adults. It is
celebrating the passage from childhood to adulthood. The kids are
mostly 13 and 14. There were three main events, all through the year.
The last event for the program just finished this past weekend, and was
a campout. All events were from Friday after dinner to Sunday before
lunch. Although that's not many meals, at that age, the kids eat
constantly and a lot.

My wife got an Email a couple of weeks ago from an adult volunteer, G.
About half the adults are parents who just attend one event. This guy
said he realized that he would have to bring his own food, but wondered
what was planned, so he would know what to bring to supplement what
would be served. He said, "I've needed to eliminate grains, bread,
pasta, potatoes and fruit from my diet. That pretty much leaves me with
meat, a limited amount of legumes and nuts, and lots of vegetables,
mostly greens. How does that compare with the menu planning? (I'm aware
that there won't be any meat, I'm more concerned with the availability
of greens.)". OK, that's pretty tough.

So, my wife responded, "Let me know what you think, so we can make the
food work for you.", after explaining what was planned, which included
lots of meat. We have lots of vegetarians in our churches, maybe 5%,
but my wife likes meat, so she does vegie options along with, but not
instead of, the meat.

So, he responded with some words, and then added, "I appreciate your
effort, but I really think the simplest way of dealing with this (and
the healthiest way) is for me to cook some greens and meat dishes ahead
of time.". My wife was peeved. I didn't see why, since he had been
clear, and wasn't asking for anything but a little information so he
could plan.

My wife said it went well, and G found some food to eat. He also
brought little containers of food with him, which he ate cold. My wife
talked to him a little about his diet, and suggested some resources.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"[Don't] assume that someone is "broken" just because they behave in ways
you don't like or don't understand." --Miche