Inherited Appetite!

I love food. Todd loves food. We are what you call foodies. We love to cook it, to eat it, to taste the different flavors. We love ethnic foods, and plain foods. Restaurant critiquing is our hobby. Every meal, the neighborhood joint to the five star meal, is given a report card grading everything from atmosphere and service to the food and drink. We find this fun, and we do consider ourselves to have good taste.
This leads us to believe that our offspring would have the same appetites we do. Is that not genetic? From deep within both the gene pools of the Tovsky's and the Citrenbaum's swims the gene for an insatiable palate of good eats. Then of course, both sides do have a family bird or two. Those who call lettuce and asparagus dinner, or who has a list of three things worth eating; chocolate, steak, and noodles- plain. Perhaps this desire for taste bud delight is a learned behavior? Can this be one of many tests of nurture vs. nature.
Both the desire to allow our kids to taste the wonders we taste, and to teach them healthy eating, we were very anxious to start them on food. At 4 months, 4 days and we began with the typical rice cereal. I understand the reasoning for beginning with this awful mush, but is it any wonder why they are so resistant at first? Day one went ok. Todd fed Chase who used the same strength he demonstrates during belly time to keep his jaw locked. I fed Ryder, who went after it rather impressively. Was this the same kid who was a bit lazier in attempting the other milestones? Messy, indeed, but both boys finished their cereal. Over the next few weeks the boys had a role reversal in that once Chase started to figure it out Ryder stopped having an interest. But, currently 5 weeks into the game of solid foods they now eat it twice a day (breakfast and dinner.) It will not be long before we introduce lunch, as well. They have eaten rice, oatmeal, and barley cereal. They have had sweet peas, sweet potatoes and green beans along with peaches, pears, applesauce and bananas. Although they have not seemed to put up too much of a fight with any of it, they both seem to love bananas. Chase opens his mouth between bites, which usually melts mommy's heart. Ryder needs a lesson in patience as when I am offering the spoon to Chase he whines a bit. That moment is just one of the many, many times I have wished I was ambidexterous. All in all, it is going well. We are on our way to introducing our sons to the wonderful world of flavors and tastes. If the baby foods aren't enough, we hope the smell of the meals we cook will tempt their palate's a bit. We can't wait to offer them table food, but the real question is, how old do they need to be before they can have sushi?