Will my picky eater be ok at overnight camp?

Pecometh Blog | Will my picky eater be ok at overnight camp?I confess, I am an enabling mother, and not proud of it. I have a 9 year old son who will not eat fruits and vegetables, or other “normal” kid food. Many moms like me wonder… what will my child eat at camp?

It’s not a competition, but tell me if this rings a bell to you… chicken nuggets, pizza, Chinese chicken nuggets (sweet and sour chicken), bologna and cheese sandwiches (I am able to use wheat bread), pancakes and bacon, Eggo waffles, and thank goodness for good ole’ peanut butter and jelly! 

The fruits that I am able to get into him are Mott’s Original Applesauce (no others!) and Go-Gurts (if that counts!). He will eat cereal too.

He won’t eat potatoes, mac & cheese, grilled cheese, hamburgers, grilled chicken, or anything along those lines. I think much of it is a texture thing and he just has trouble getting past that.

He takes daily vitamins, is healthy, and I know that one day his adult taste buds will kick in.

At least, that’s what I’m praying for!

I am excited to send him to overnight camp this summer.  Am I worried that he won’t get enough to eat?

Nope.

There is always PB & J available at lunch and dinner. Cereal at breakfast. I know that if I tell his counselor that I am okay with him eating PB & J for lunch and dinner, they will let him.

But, you know what may also happen?

A bit of healthy peer pressure may kick in and he’ll try things that he wouldn’t normally try at home. Stranger things have happened!

So I have a picky eater.

Some of you may have other concerns like food allergies at camp (or other special diets). The food at the camp dining hall is prepared by Sodexo. They prepare the food for our county school system. It’s not gourmet, just food that most kids will eat and like.

Sodexo can accommodate most diets and like to be kept in the loop about food allergies that are indicated on a camper’s health form. 

The counselor knows about these considerations, as well, and does what they can to assist in food choices.

Pecometh is not a nut free camp, but does try to minimize the interaction with peanut butter and the campers. For example, there is no candy with nuts or peanut butter in the camp store.

This past summer, we even switched from peanut butter to a nut-free alternative in the dining hall! This change means kids who opt for PB & J can now eat it right at the table with their cabinmates, and kids who have a nut allergy don’t need to worry about accidentally being exposed to peanut butter. 

Whatever your child’s dietary need, we can figure out how to accommodate it, as long as we know ahead of time! 

You know what else I’m excited about? Independence. My picky eater is going to gain some independence by being away from Mom at overnight camp where he will either choose to live on PB & J’s (and maybe get tired of them) or choose to try some other foods, which to his great surprise may actually be good!

I know he won’t starve… he won’t be away THAT long! Bring on overnight camp! 


Summer Camp at Pecometh

Get ready for your camper to gain new levels of independence this summer! Learn more about our summer camp program by downloading the brochure below. {{cta(’39ad0b3a-9d2f-4ded-bcda-2078a71a7814′)}}

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