As the youngest child in her family, 12-year-old Sania was loved dearly. She was a nice and well-mannered girl, but she was a picky eater, with the habit of being very selective about her food. Her parents often explained the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet, but she paid no heed.

“Sania, you must eat all fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and nuts. These are good for you,” her mother told her.

“Mummy, I just don’t like fish or vegetables,” replied Sania.

Frustrated, Sania’s mother chose to remain calm, hoping she would change as she grew older.

During a long weekend, Sania’s cousins planned to spend time with her and her siblings. They were all very close and shared common interests. They played together all day and enjoyed late-night chats. All of Sania’s cousins were aware of her habit of rejecting food that didn’t suit her taste buds. One day, they decided to teach Sania a lesson in a fun way.

“Hey, let’s all play the blindfold challenge!” suggested Samra. They planned a game where the participants would guess different foods while blindfolded. The team with the most correct answers would be the winner. Sania’s cousins formed one team, while Sania and her siblings were in the other team. Their aunt acted as the moderator.

Sania and her teammates accepted the challenge. First, the other team tasted eggplant, which they guessed correctly. Then, Sania’s cousins made her taste steamed cauliflower. She disliked it and couldn’t guess what it was, causing her team to lose a point.

“Oh no, Sania, you made us lose a point!” Samra, her elder sister, said with disappointment. “That’s because you don’t eat veggies, so you don’t know how they taste,” she added.

“I’m sorry, Samra, I didn’t mean to ….” replied Sania. The cousins were already enjoying the situation.

Then came round two, the ‘meat protein round’. The other team tasted roasted mutton, while Sania was made to taste sushi! As soon as the sushi hit her mouth, Sania started to gag with displeasure. All the cousins burst into laughter.

“What on earth is this?” cried Sania.

“That’s sushi!” her cousin, Raamis, explained. He had specifically brought the sushi for her to try.

“Sania, try it once more; you might like it,” suggested Samra.

“No, I don’t want to!” the room filled with laughter as everyone enjoyed the moment. But then Sania’s mother and aunt intervened.

“Sania, just try it with the sauce one more time. We’re sure you’ll love it. It’s very healthy for your brain and heart,” her mum encouraged.

“Okay, mum,” Sania agreed. When she tasted it again, this time she found that she actually liked the taste and ended up finishing all that was in the plate! Everyone clapped with excitement and disbelief. Even Sania couldn’t believe she had managed to eat the entire sushi meal!

“It’s actually good,” Sania commented.

“That’s what we keep telling you — each of these food is beneficial and has its health benefits,” her parents explained.

“I promise, mum and dad, I will try eating everything from now on,” Sania declared.

The weekend ended with joy, lessons learned and Sania’s first sushi experience.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 26th, 2024