I think we have the same stepson Dream .... mine is now 16 and FINALLY starting to realize that the food that comes outside a box that actually tastes BETTER than the crap he use to enjoy so there is HOPE for them

One of the things that works wonders with newbies in my program who arrive picky or try to become picky is to say 'that's ok your taste buds are just not big enough to appreciate that' and leave it at that .... kids are ITCHING to be seen as 'big enough' so are more inclined to keep trying new things even things they honestly 'do not like' to see if their taste buds have grown ... research shows you often have to try some 'flavors' many times before your palette will accept them so eventually their tastes buds ARE big enough so its not like I am lying

There are lots of things I HATED food wise both as a child and still as an adult .... but I kept tasting them regularly until my palette learned to accept them and I can now eat them ~ still not my favorite foods but at least palatable ... in fact just had a few Brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving cause my friend loves them so she was serving them and it was actually 'ok' where as past times they literally made me gag the texture and smell was just not appealing to me... same with asparagus and a few other 'stronger' things that even at 40 my tastebuds are still 'growing to appreciate' in fact I love asparagus now that I know how to choose it and steam it to be perfect texture

Still few things out there I cannot 'stomach' ... like liver but again that is more psychological baggage from childhood than likely the livers fault of being palatable ~ had an uncle who 'forced' me to eat it after having been made to sit at the table staring at it for hours and eventually I caved to his power and ate it cold and disgusting as it was and gagged it all the way down cause I was afraid of what he might do if I did not eat it he was so angry ~ but I ended up getting violently ill as a result of the stress on my stomach while eating it and well liver brings back those 'feelings' for me no matter how I try to get 'over' that memory ... the smell just makes me feel sick!