For the past few years Quinn has been quite the picky eater. He used to be one of those excruciatingly picky eaters - the kind that would make one (i.e., me) want to pull their hair out in frustration.

Over the past year he's become much better about food, but still remained picky. Interestingly, discovering his dairy allergy and taking him off dairy really helped. He was forced to broaden his horizons (no grilled cheese every day) and I think his stomach just felt better, too.

But you know what has really cured Quinn of his picky-eating? School lunches.

I know, I know, school lunches are disgusting, right? But in St. Paul they actually seem to be pretty good and reasonably healthy.

The first couple weeks of school I packed his lunch, but then he started wanting to get "hot lunch". I think because most of the other kids do as well. And would you believe he's EATING and LIKING whatever is put in front of him?

Today he asked me to read him the lunch menu for next week. This is what it is:
Monday - Cinnamon french toast, cherries and scrambled eggs; potatoes, plum and salad
Tuesday - Chicken or Veggie fajitas, brown rice, whole grain tortillas; peach and salad
Wednesday - Chicken sugaar, rice and whole grain pita; carrots, banana and salad
Thursday - Pizza on whole grain crust; broccoli, oranges and salad
Friday - Chicken tortilla bake and salad

I read him this menu and he wants to get ALL of those things! We said he could, except for the pizza (dairy). Moin said, who are you and what have you done with Quinn?

I guess eating along with all those other kids was all he needed to get over the picky eating hump. Part of me is happy that he's eating so many new foods, and part of me is offended. I've spent five years carefully presenting him with new foods (which he's ignored) and all it took was one week of seeing some random kids eating hot lunch and the pickiness was gone!

Now, if some of this adventurous eating could run off on Penelope...