And although he could make himself a quesadilla, scrambled eggs or pasta, if he was going to eat anything besides pale foods, it would be up to me to cook it.

At first, my shopping list included lots of tofu and plant-based, meat-like products. I became obsessed with weaving protein into my son's diet, constantly pushing almonds on him like I was selling knockoff watches from inside a trench coat. During lockdown, when he spent 99% of his day at home, it felt imperative that I personally compensate for whatever he lacked on the food pyramid. Fortunately, he was game, although he drew a hard line at eggplant and squash -- no matter how well they were seasoned, employed or disguised.