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8-Year-Old Girl Finds Out The Meaning Of “Careful What You Wish For” When Mum Serves Her Nothing But Salami Pizza For A Week
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8-Year-Old Girl Finds Out The Meaning Of “Careful What You Wish For” When Mum Serves Her Nothing But Salami Pizza For A Week

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If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? This may be one of life’s most difficult questions to answer, as choosing your favorite food could quickly turn it into a meal you despise. Sometimes, we just need to learn that it is possible to have too much of a good thing (or a delicious thing), especially when we’re children.  

One mom recently detailed on the Malicious Compliance subreddit how they managed to teach their daughter a lesson after she demanded her favorite food all the time, so below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some replies from amused readers.

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    Kids tend to be fanatics when it comes to their favorite foods

    Image credits: Caleb Woods (not the actual photo)

    So to teach their daughter a lesson about moderation, this mom agreed to start serving salami pizza for every single meal

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    Image credits: Sigmund (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: Gold-Carpenter7616

    Later, the mother responded to a few questions and provided additional details on the situation

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    We all have preferences, and it’s completely normal to have one particular favorite food

    Image credits:  The Nix Company (not the actual photo)

    We all have preferences when it comes to eating, and it’s completely normal to have a favorite food that you might find yourself craving more than anything else. For me personally, some perfectly roasted sweet potatoes or buffalo cauliflower will hit the spot any time. But as we grow up, we learn that everything is better in moderation. That fabulous cake at the bakery down the road won’t taste quite as special if you have access to it every day, and that amazing pizza you dream about after eating it wouldn’t be as mind blowing if it was served to you multiple times a week. Moderation is something that it seems like many of us have to be taught as adults, but actually, small children tend to be perfectly in tune with their hunger and satiety cues.

    According to Nemours Health Systems, “All toddlers will exhibit cues to their own fullness, even unconsciously, as an effort to prevent uncomfortable overeating.” And while it can be important for parents to encourage and model healthy eating habits, kids intuitively know when they’re hungry and when to stop. There are certain factors that can lead to children becoming obsessive about particular foods, such as being a fiend for candy if it’s only ever allowed on special occasions. One possible reason for this young girl desiring salami pizza all the time is because her parents did set limits on how often she could have it. Of course, they only did this to ensure she ate a healthy, balanced diet with many nutrients. But we all know that being told we can’t have something often makes it much more enticing.

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    However, it’s important for kids to learn not to become obsessive over these foods

    Image credits: Zahra Amiri (not the actual photo)

    Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Ashley, of Veggies & Virtue, explains on her blog that children often become obsessed with certain foods, particularly sugary ones, because they’ve been demonized. She recommends revamping our children’s relationships with the foods they’ve become obsessed with to teach them how to incorporate them into a healthy diet without allowing them to occupy excessive amounts of mental energy. In the example of sweets, Ashley says to allow them into your child’s diet on a semi-regular rotation, even when they don’t ask for them. “By offering dessert with dinner, the sweet becomes a part of the meal just like any other food would be,” she explains. “Being offered at the same time as other foods, it also frees up your child’s mental attention by permitting dessert to be eaten freely before, in bits during, or after their meal itself. It is incorporated into the meal and not a reward or bribe contingent on their eating performance.”

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    Ashley also notes that it can be wise to share with your little ones when the next opportunity to eat the food they’re obsessed with will be, so they don’t have to spend time and energy worrying about it. If they know pizza will be served again next Saturday night, there’s no point in asking about it all the time or whining that they’re craving it. They simply have to learn to wait, and they might even forget about it until the day comes. Ashley also recommends figuring out which foods your kids are obsessed with and choosing to incorporate them in place of other treats they might not be thrilled about. For example, if the whole family is eating freshly baked cookies, but one child would rather have some candy instead of a cookie, that is a valid option. The same sweet craving is honored, and they learn not to take sweets whenever they can have them simply because they’re sweets.

    Moderation is key when it comes to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet

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    Image credits: Brooke Lark (not the actual photo)

    Moderation is important when it comes to our diets to ensure that we all get a well-rounded range of nutrients and to simply ensure that we don’t become tired of eating the same foods over and over again. As this young girl quickly learned, it’s incredibly boring to eat pizza for every single meal, and food fatigue is a real thing. Have you ever gone through a phase of making oatmeal or avocado toast every single morning for months until one day the idea of eating it sounded extremely unappetizing? Incorporating a wide range of foods in our diets can help combat this fatigue, as well as mixing up which meals we eat every week, incorporating theme meals, incorporating a mix of fresh and cooked ingredients into our dishes and focusing on the social aspect of meals rather than simply the food.

    Even as adults, it can be tempting to overindulge in certain foods that we’ve just discovered or find ourselves craving all the time, but it’s important to remember that our diets need variety for a reason. Thankfully, this parent reported that their daughter learned from this experience and enjoys an occasional salami pizza nowadays, so it seems like the malicious compliance was all in good fun and absolutely worth it. We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever exhausted yourself by eating one food far too many times? Then if you’re interested in checking out a Bored Panda article discussing picky eating, look no further than right here

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    Amused readers shared similar stories of children obsessed with their favorite foods

    Others shared their reactions to the mom’s malicious compliance

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    Adelaide Ross

    Adelaide Ross

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

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    Adelaide Ross

    Adelaide Ross

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

    Read less »

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

    What do you think ?
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    Suzy Creamcheese
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm usually eating chili for a week when I make it, because it's one of those things that trying to make a small batch just doesn't work, and there's nobody here but me to eat it. ;-)

    Monochrome
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Um, no. You shouldn't do this to your kid, she's literally 8, do not force her to eat a food she likes until she doesn't want it anymore, as someone who is autistic, if someone did that to me I'd probably hate them for the rest of my life.

    Sonja
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Then you should read more carefully. She didn't force her daughter to do anything. As soon as she admitted that she didn't want the pizza anymore and asked for something else, she gave her something else. She only played along until the point where her daughter herself said it was enough. She didn't take the bread away and forced her to eat the pizza. She took the bread away and offered the pizza and when her daughter admitted she wanted bread instead she gave her bread. Also her daughter still loves pizza, she just learned that even the best things are better in moderation and that's a good thing to learn. Now her daughter knows that there's a good reason why she's not always getting her will, which is also a great lesson taught in a very smart way. And the least, most important lesson the kid learnt was admitting a mistake and accepting that sometimes you need to do so. That's why it's a good thing she didn't let her sneak herself bread but made her ask for it. It's a lesson many people never learn and they grow up into unreasonable idiots with can never admit being wrong and go to great lengths to get their perceived victory.

    Load More Replies...
    Fiona Parky
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I was little my mum always said “you can say you don’t like something until after you’ve tasted it”. The way that worked, when we were either out or dining on holiday, was she’d order something she liked and something simple for me. I got to try a spoonful of her food I ate mussels, paella, oysters, choucroute, bouillabaisse, salads, just anything. Mum, bless her, ate a lot of plain omelettes that she’d ordered for me. The only thing that didn’t work was dolmades because I seem to be a bit allergic to vine leaves and grapes.

    The Other Guest
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The rule in our house was "Two bites of everything on your plate." After that we could leave it, have more of what we liked, or just finish our plate & be done. I'm sure we drove our parents nuts, putting one pea on a spoon "Is this a bite?" ::one more pea:: "Is *this* a bite?" ::one more pea:: "Is **this** a bite???" The rule lasted until we reached 13; at that point, Mom figured we knew what we liked & what we didn't. As the youngest, it seemed unfair that I still had to eat two bites when my siblings didn't, LOL!

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Suzy Creamcheese
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm usually eating chili for a week when I make it, because it's one of those things that trying to make a small batch just doesn't work, and there's nobody here but me to eat it. ;-)

    Monochrome
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Um, no. You shouldn't do this to your kid, she's literally 8, do not force her to eat a food she likes until she doesn't want it anymore, as someone who is autistic, if someone did that to me I'd probably hate them for the rest of my life.

    Sonja
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Then you should read more carefully. She didn't force her daughter to do anything. As soon as she admitted that she didn't want the pizza anymore and asked for something else, she gave her something else. She only played along until the point where her daughter herself said it was enough. She didn't take the bread away and forced her to eat the pizza. She took the bread away and offered the pizza and when her daughter admitted she wanted bread instead she gave her bread. Also her daughter still loves pizza, she just learned that even the best things are better in moderation and that's a good thing to learn. Now her daughter knows that there's a good reason why she's not always getting her will, which is also a great lesson taught in a very smart way. And the least, most important lesson the kid learnt was admitting a mistake and accepting that sometimes you need to do so. That's why it's a good thing she didn't let her sneak herself bread but made her ask for it. It's a lesson many people never learn and they grow up into unreasonable idiots with can never admit being wrong and go to great lengths to get their perceived victory.

    Load More Replies...
    Fiona Parky
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I was little my mum always said “you can say you don’t like something until after you’ve tasted it”. The way that worked, when we were either out or dining on holiday, was she’d order something she liked and something simple for me. I got to try a spoonful of her food I ate mussels, paella, oysters, choucroute, bouillabaisse, salads, just anything. Mum, bless her, ate a lot of plain omelettes that she’d ordered for me. The only thing that didn’t work was dolmades because I seem to be a bit allergic to vine leaves and grapes.

    The Other Guest
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The rule in our house was "Two bites of everything on your plate." After that we could leave it, have more of what we liked, or just finish our plate & be done. I'm sure we drove our parents nuts, putting one pea on a spoon "Is this a bite?" ::one more pea:: "Is *this* a bite?" ::one more pea:: "Is **this** a bite???" The rule lasted until we reached 13; at that point, Mom figured we knew what we liked & what we didn't. As the youngest, it seemed unfair that I still had to eat two bites when my siblings didn't, LOL!

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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