Family Practices

I remember the first time I tried spinach.  It was at a restaurant with my grandparents and younger brother.  I remember my grandfather encouraging me to try it, but not forcing me to eat it.  Before I tried it I thought about Popeye and how he eats spinach to get strong and I instantly took a bite of it.  Surprisingly, I loved the taste of it.  That's usually how my family worked when it came to getting me to eat stuff.  They would always encourage me to try new things and that's something I've carried with me up to this day.  It's hard for me to think of a vegetable I never liked because they taught me to try food with an open mind.  I think this strategy works very well and I would say it belongs in the Microsystem section of Bronfrenbrenner's model.

Another food habit that I developed when I was a kid was always sitting down together to enjoy a meal.  Almost every night we would eat a home cooked meal together.  We never sat in front of the TV while eating; it was always at the table.  This made eating more enjoyable and more meaningful to us.  I think that this helped me understand what makes up a meal as well.  Almost every meal consisted of the essential food groups and it was strange if it didn't.  I would say that this practice would also belong in the Microsystem section of the model as well.