My kids hate “meat.” Or so they think. Because they love hot dogs, pepperoni and chicken nuggets. But if I bread organic chicken cutlets and bake them, they poke the meat and complain and won’t eat any of it. Apparently they’re not “real” nuggets. I’ve looked into buying organic chicken nuggets, but the ones I’ve found were seven dollars for a small box. Holy cow! That’s completely not in my nugget budget.
My mom likes to pick up a major brand’s “whole grain” nuggets but I think they’re still pretty processed and likely loaded with preservatives. I get frustrated with marketing that uses green buzzwords like healthy and natural that aren’t regulated in any way.
The whole nugget issue is one of those huge debates (in my head). Yeah, I feed my kids crappy nuggets sometimes. The cheap kind. But who doesn’t feel beat down after cooking a healthy, awesome meal and learning that the kids just flat out won’t eat it? After a long day at work and when my husband isn’t going to be home, I’ll microwave some nuggets and I’ll open a can of vegetables and then I’ll feel like a jerk for not giving my kids something better for them.
I can’t be the only one who gets sucked into the food-shame vortex. What about you? Do your kids love nuggets or have you found a magical way to get them to enjoy breaded chicken that isn’t made of dubious, scary chicken parts?
