The pros and cons of the red stuff…
A question that I’m sure millions of parents around the world ask every night… “Should I be letting my child drown everything in sauce?”
For some reason tomato sauce (or ketchup if you live in the northern hemisphere) is one of those easy-to-learn-to-like foods. Perhaps it’s because of it’s sweet-salty taste and the fact that it is REEAALLLYYY predictable that makes it so easy for kids to like? Who knows.
Parents I talk to worry that it’s “full of sugar”. There are many options to choose from if that is a concern to you.
I like to take a big-picture view.
Tomato sauce can be an excellent bridging food.
A bridging food is a food that helps make another food seem more appetising… and for some kids, safe. You may have experienced your child having more confidence to taste a new food with the help of sauce.
But what if your child is requesting sauce with everything?
This is when Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding can help us nut this one out…
Sauce is a food, and parents get to decide what foods are on offer. This means you get to decide when tomato sauce (and any other condiment for that matter) is included in meals and snacks.
You remain in charge of WHEN sauce happens.
Sometimes it will be a good accompaniment, and sometimes it won’t. For the times when you DO offer sauce – if squirting from the bottle is getting messy or out of hand, consider serving the sauce in a bowl or dish for everyone at the table to spoon from. This will give your small kids practice with spooning the sauce onto their plate (with help if needed).
It may seem counter-intuitive, but letting your child choose how much sauce at these times can teach them a lot about how much they actually need. Yes, let them go back for more if they want to. Over time, you will likely see things settle in the sauce department.
For the times you decide that sauce isn’t on the menu, it’s OK to simply be matter-of-fact about it. “No, we’re not having sauce with this meal, but it will go nicely with our sausages tomorrow”.
Think of sauce as a help, not a hindrance.
Eat happy!
Deb Blakley
Accredited Practising Dietitian
