Kids & Food

For some parents, getting their kids to eat is a real chore.  There are many kids who only eat a very limited menu--chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, potatoes, etc.   You know the usual list.

As I've said before, we've been fairly lucky with Jake as an eater.  When he's in the right mood, he's open to trying different things--and usually likes them.  He doesn't go for the typical kid foods--he doesn't like cheese (so no mac & cheese, pizza), sauces (so no pastas with sauce), potatoes (except the occasional French fry).  But he loves veggies, fruit, fish, meats, plain pasta. 

An article from boston.com talks about how to get kids--specifically toddlers--to eat a wider variety of foods and not be so picky.  It talks about how many experts believe that a child's taste can begin before birth.  Flavors such as carrots, garlic and vanilla can be transmitted from the mother to the baby and form a liking to those things in the child. 

Jake has only tried lobster once, but he's
getting closer to eating it. 

It's believed that a child needs to try a food up to 20 times before determining whether they like it or not.  And texture can be a factor in whether a kid likes a food or not.  That's part of Jake's biggest problem with most foods that he doesn't like--he doesn't like smooth, gooey or mushy foods.  Cheese, mashed potatoes, sauces--all fall under this category.  I think eventually he'll learn to taste these things.

The biggest factor, however, in determining if a child is picky or not, is the parents' eating habits.  If the kid sees his parents eating a variety of foods, he'll be more interested in trying those things.  If parents are adverse to trying new things and making a variety of foods to eat, the child will follow suit. 

And many restaurants help to further this problem.  What's on a restaurant's kids' menu so often?  Pizza, burgers,  hot dogs, mac & cheese, chicken nuggets.  Not very healthy.  Not very adventurous.  One of our favorite restaurants, Cafe This Way, in Bar Harbor, ME, has a great kids' menu.  There are healthy and interesting options--broiled fish, grilled shrimp, chicken, pasta with fresh sauce, quesadillas, etc.  Why should kids not be offered good stuff? 

Do your kids eat interesting things?  What are some of their favorites--that would surprise many people?  Write a comment and let me know.  Check out a previous blog post with more information on this topic.