Modern Inconveniences — Part I: I hate lima beans

“Who threw lima beans in the back of the cabinet?” my mother yelled from the tiny breakfast nook off our kitchen. I’d been caught again. At least this time it wasn’t meatloaf. She was really mad about that. But our table, a typical 70s set with faux wood top and groovy brown and gold daisy-patterned vinyl upholstered chairs, was conveniently wedged against the nook’s built-in cabinets, perfect for stashing icky lima beans.

Fortunately today, parents don’t have to deal with finding various dried up vegetables and meats in odd places. Today, convenience foods make cooking for the family faster, easier and more enjoyable. Our parents could have never imagined freezers chock full of boneless, skinless, pre-cooked, all white meat chicken, ready in minutes. They couldn’t contemplate flavored single serve yogurt you can eat right out of a disposable tube, microwavable pastry pocket sandwiches, bags of ready to serve fresh salads and peeled baby carrots, and de-crusted frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Furthermore, on days when there isn’t even enough time for convenience foods, thereis a variety of drive-through restaurants close by, complete with an entertaining toy for every child.

But are we creating a generation of picky little monsters who thrive on instant gratification rather than the simple nourishment of a family meal made from scratch? Back in the 50s, 60s and 70s, our mothers seasoned roasts, stuffed chickens, peeled potatoes, snapped beans, baked rolls and thickened gravies for hours on end to prepare supper. Kids back then didn’t yell out their preferences; you got whatever was put on your plate. If you were lucky enough to get a drumstick, you still had to negotiate around fat, skin, bone and cartilage to feed yourself. Kids today may not even know what gristle is.

Sure, kids back then occasionally complained just like kids today, but for the most part, we ate what was put on our plates. Kids today think that consuming broccoli equates to water boarding, but to kids of yesteryear, broccoli is merely child’s play. We had to deal with olive loaf, brussel sprouts, endless combinations of lime gelatin and mushy fruit, canned spreadable meats, pearl onions, aspic, Swiss steak with gravy to hide the ribbons of fat, and the worst — Casseroles: dishes purely intended to disguise disgusting vegetables, gooey sauces, and mystery meats.

In our day, we didn’t make individual requests for alternative foods, we just got good at mitigating our suffering by creatively hiding our lima beans in the bottom of our milk cups, slipping bites of Salisbury steak to the dog under the table, and spitting cooked carrots out in our napkins. But meals back then weren’t about individual preferences; they were about nourishment and knowing one’s place in the familial hierarchy. It was simple, comforting, and taught children to defer to the authority of their parents and follow the group.

So what am I saying? Should we raid our refrigerators and throw out our beloved chicken patties, cheese sticks and juice boxes? Should we stock our pantries with canned beets, chuck roasts and pimento cheese spread just to teach our kids a lesson? Not quite, but perhaps we need to make an effort create opportunities to teach our kids the simple life lessons our parents inadvertently taught us.

Like the comfort of a family meal made from scratch. That food tastes better the older you get. That if you hold your nose, you can swallow green peppers. That dogs spit out bananas. And that you need to find a really good place to hide your lima beans.