Ah, Turkey Day. An excuse to loosen the belt and indulge in full-on gluttony. Sure, the holiday is a celebration of family. But it's also a celebration of food and all its pleasures. 
Unless ... you're a kid. And a finicky eater. And some of the dishes prepared by dear old Mom kind of, um ... how to say this nicely? ... taste like warmed-over dirt piles on a nasty paper plate.
As wonderful as most Thanksgiving meals are, there are certain offerings that tend to be less savory to the younger set. These are the five most likely to be clandestinely fed to the dog, tossed under the table or slyly slid underneath a napkin come dinner time today:
5. Turkey: Weren't expecting that, were you? Turkey may be the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, but it's often the least tasty part, especially if it's too dry or wasn't roasted just right. And finicky kid-eater have no patience for non-moist poultry.
4. Any "Unconventional" Dish: You know the aunt who always brings over some weird Asian salad or Middle Easten couscous just to "mix it up a little"? Yeah, no one wants that crap on Thanksgiving. The kids don't either. And they're not going to eat it.
3. Fruit Salad: If it's got pineapples, bananas, sliced Granny Smith apples and/or any sort of congealed marshmallow substance that acts as an adhesive, it won't win any points at the kids' table. Caveat: If you add mandarin oranges to the mix, you raise the potential for acceptance by at least a couple of notches.
2. Cranberry Sauce: This only applies if the sauce you serve comes out of a can. Now, I don't fault people who go the can route. We all have to cut corners somewhere. But for much of my young life, I didn't know there was such a thing as non-canned cranberry sauce. And I never tasted it because the mere sight of it creeped me out. Your sons and daughters may be like me. For your sake, I hope not.
1. Green Bean Casserole: I love me some green bean casserole. But I also fully acknowledge that, through a kid's eyes, this stuff totally looks like boogers mixed with throw-up and topped with French onions. Until their taste buds mature, expect your little loved ones to come up with all sorts of creative excuses (mushroom soup allergies, moral objections to casseroles) to avoid eating the stuff.
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