Tuna Obsession

So my son Zach has this love affair with tuna. Most especially a foot long tuna sub from Subway--his most favorite place on earth. And since I refuse to take him there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (which he almost daily asks I do) he has taken to making his tuna "Subway style". Which is basically a little tuna with his mayo.

I can almost hear your tsk tsk's (unless you are a mayo generous tuna loving person such as Zach.) But let me defend myself...

First of all, if you have a son who is teetering that line of still liking to be mothered vs. self dependence you will know that having him make his own lunch is something to be encouraged most days. (Though I often still do make his lunch because I will always feel the need to take care of him.)

Second of all, the ooey-gooey tuna-fest happens mostly on the weekend. I am fully aware of the "danger" of daily tuna intake and so we limit it throughout the week. (Scott, who makes the school lunches, has a rotating sandwich schedule.)

And lastly, I have repeatedly preached the sins of over mayo-ing anything. A lesson in label reading usually follows. But I have come to believe that when it comes to food, making anything super taboo will usually result in future failure when my children come of age and begin to make food choices apart from me.  I call it the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I try to practice and preach healthy eating habits. And the left over 20% of the time is, well, when we have the freedom to indulge. If you wanna gob your mayo on "Subway style" then, go for it. It's an exception. 

I often imagine Zach, off in college, going through jars of mayo and cans of tuna in a week. If he still has his bean-pole frame and super duper fast metabolism like his dad still does, then I have a feeling he'll be okay in the pounds department. His arteries may look a bit different and I'm sure I'll worry about them, but I think he'll be just fine. Who knows, he may just have very well given it up by then, having had met his tuna quotient by 15. Either way, we'll look back and laugh at we'll lovingly call..."The Great Tuna/Subway Obsession."

p.s. I had to capture the picture above for the obvious reason of capturing him with his tuna sandwich, but also to document his "man-cub" ways of eating without utensils and hands. It must be a 9 year old practice to slurp and lick food off the plate or counter before his mother can gently scold him into using some manners. There are some things we can never train them in, no matter how much we try!

Here he is making his tuna creation. 

I learned from him today that it's gotta be mashed, not chunky.