I'm making the whole dinner table pink.

My 3-year-old won't eat his meals.

Well, to be precise, he only eats rice. He loves and is loved by rice, bread, and noodles—carbohydrates—and he firmly refuses anything else.

“I’m okay on the meat, thank you.”

He politely declines vegetables and meat with the kind of formal Japanese unique to this age, and eats around them perfectly. It’s a master skill at this point. Every once in a veeeeery long while, when he’s really in the mood, he might put a piece in his mouth just to test it, but he immediately returns to his carbohydrate swamp. Carbohydrates... what a terrifying child...!

He gets nutrition from his favorite menus (like curry), snacks, and drinks, so it’s not like he’s in a state of 'total refusal,' but I still wish he would eat a wider variety of things these days.

However, a 3-year-old's likes and dislikes are mysterious.
Things get dropped from the starting lineup for mysterious reasons like 'It's kind of green...' or 'It looks strong' or 'I feel like I ate this yesterday' (he didn't).
The Yamaoka-san method of 'Just try one bite' doesn't work. It’s not about the taste. Tasting is impossible. There are too many hurdles before that point. At the same time, the reasons for his likes are also a mystery. My 3-year-old loves pink lately, and he loves it so much that he even seems to think all the pink in the world belongs to him. It’s like a B-movie world conquest. As if he’s going to cover the world in pink. This strange obsession is endearing.

“Wait? Could it be that he’ll eat it if it’s pink...?”

When I asked everyone on the internet about this idea, I got a lot of suggestions.

Everyone is amazing. Is the world really that pink at the dinner table...? Seriously? This is worth a try.
So, I enthusiastically made the whole dinner table pink!

Entry No. 1: Pink Potato Salad

In this world, there are invisible dwellers of darkness and pink potatoes.

I thought, 'Really...?' but they were actually sold at the supermarket. Seriously? Amazing.

They stay pink even when heated, and when you taste them, they are definitely potatoes. The fluffy texture is appetizing.

He was so eager from the tasting stage, saying 'One bite! One bite!', so my expectations are high...!!

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Entry No. 2: Kamaboko (fish cake)

A kamaboko with the most amazing pink edges! I received many suggestions when I asked what comes to mind when you think of pink.

I also received many suggestions for sakura denbu (sweet pink fish flakes), but do Japanese people just tend to make fish meat pink...?

Kamaboko is soft and easy to eat, isn't it... When I was little, I used to eat chestnut kinton and kamaboko all the time during Osechi! With its classic feel and reliable presence, I have high expectations for this one too...!!

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Entry No. 3: Iwashita's New Ginger

When you think of pink, you think of Iwashita's New Ginger. Even when written, it has a melody: Iwashita's, New Ginger.

This is for adults! But I decided to include it on the dining table as a dark horse candidate, just in case... I'm counting on you...!!

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Entry No. 4: Pink Carbonara

Do you know about beets? For me, they were a vegetable that was high up on my 'heard the name but never eaten' ranking, but apparently, you can use them to turn anything pink...!! Is that really true????

I was recommended the canned version, but I couldn't find it, so I bought a vacuum-packed one instead. I didn't even know which section of the supermarket it would be in! I searched so hard!!!

I crushed the flesh and juice in a food processor until it was mushy, then mixed it into the pasta sauce, and then...

It was true!!!!! The carbonara is super pink!!!!! Beets are amazing...!!!
I love noodles themselves, so this is a top contender!!! I have super high expectations for this...!!!!

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Entry No. 5: Pink Pork Curry

Curry is a staple for local souvenirs and a star on the dining table because it tastes good no matter what you put in it. I also received many ideas for pink curry!
Curry is great! I couldn't get it right away, but the versatility of curry is truly amazing...!!

When I looked it up, I realized there are seriously so many other colored curries out there...! The world of curry is deep...!!

I was also taught how to make rice pink for character bento boxes...

Combining them for dinner curry!

I feel like this really boosts the fun factor~~~! Yes, a sense of fun is absolutely necessary for a 3-year-old's meal...! I'm counting on you, pink pork curry...!!!

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Results announcement~~~!!!

Trying this out, the "sense of fun" was just incredible. My child's excitement went up, and that restless,ワクワク (waku-waku) feeling that's different from usual is really great...! Of course, some kids prefer "the usual," so I can't say it's perfect for everyone, but it definitely adds an event-like feel!

Now, for the results of each menu...

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"🥁"

""🥁""

🎉

They ate a ton of the potato salad! And they even ate the ham hidden inside without noticing (even though they never eat it usually)!!! A victory for color!!!
They enjoyed the texture of the kamaboko and were swinging it around, but they didn't eat it...!! The Iwashita's pickled ginger was a no-go (the adults enjoyed eating it instead).

The pink carbonara was the main event, but they only took a bite or two and stopped...
They started eating the curry with high energy, but they wouldn't touch the rice, and when I thought, 'Could it be...?', it turned out they didn't realize it was rice...
Come to think of it, I usually mix it with the curry before serving it... Once I mixed it, they ate it properly! Even though the pink was gone!

Everything gets them excited, but when it comes time to actually eat, they pause. I learned that pink food can grab a child's interest but also makes them cautious... Kids are honest, aren't they? But I'm happy that they at least put one thing they don't usually eat into their mouth.

I received recommendations for other menus besides the ones I made this time, so I want to keep trying various things, including the excitement factor!
By the way, when adults eat it, the color is different but the taste is the same as always, so it's fun because your brain gets a bit buggy in a good way. It's worth trying at least once. Recommended.

When you're feeling like, 'Ah~~~ I want to make everything pink~~~!', please, please give it a try!!!

Bonus extra: 3 o'clock snack

Strawberry Pocky, the winner.

Well then!

The end.