Table manners

[boogiewoogie]

Is there a correct or polite order for eating a main course consisting of 4 portions of food? For example:

Meat/vegetarian alternative of say nutroast, roast potatoes, carrots and beans.

DH always eats all of the boring stuff first followed by all of the next and followed by the most interesting.

DS always eats all of the most interesting stuff first, followed by the next, followed by carrots followed by beans.

I always encourage my DS's to eat their least favourite thing first, so that as they're starting to feel full (haha I wish) they've got something they enjoy to finish off with.

Invariably if they eat their favourite bit first they spend ages pushing the other bits around the playing before finally eating it.

When that's the correct/polite thing to do (what I encourage the DS's to do) I don't know.......

I really don't think there are any rules on this. Thank goodness!

I think the polite thing is to put some of each food on the fork so that the blend of foods is at maximum effect

I think that's the sign of a sophisticated palate, but not necessarily politeness. Does strike me as slightly childish to eat the food in order.

This isn't pedantry either, is it? It's etiquette ...

doesn't everyone eat a bit of this, then a bit of that? [genuinely surprised]

my grandad used to chop everything up and stir it all into a big mess then eat it with a fork. grooh.