For the first time ever, Abigail ate a sunflower butter sandwich for lunch. Now, to most families, that wouldn't be any big deal. But, in our family, for a child that, up until a day ago when asked if she wanted to try sunflower butter would make a disgusted face, it's significant.
We've used sunflower butter for years (at least since Abigail was 18 months old) as an alternative to peanut butter. My husband and son eat it almost on a daily basis. Over the years, I would ask Abigail if she wanted to try it. Occasionally she would, and each time, same results. That disgusted face. Now, I should admit, that she does like the Sun Cups, but they're covered in chocolate. Yesterday, at snack, she asked to try a cracker dipped in the sunflower butter. She's never asked before. She ate several. Today at lunch she asked again if she could have some and then ended up spreading it on bread and making a sandwich. She even asked to lick the knife. I was amazed.
I believe that your body has innate self-defense mechanisms to keep it safe. My fair-skinned, red-headed son, doesn't like being outside in the intense heat. Abigail doesn't like the smell, texture or taste of the sunflower butter which is quite similar to peanut butter. Self-defense mechanisms to protect themselves? I'm purely speculating here, but what if through this densitization process with the peanut clinical trial, she's losing that self-defense mechanism? Just maybe. Or, maybe just wishful thinking.
