You know what I mean, right? Foods with multiple ingredients mixed together like gorgeous stews, stir fries, curries, casseroles. Even the popular lasagne can sometimes get the thumbs down.
This is a common, very normal and utterly frustrating (for parents) stage of development for many kids. So should we strike mixed foods off the menu?
Certainly not! However we can be understanding of a child’s food inexperience without catering to likes/dislikes. You are not running a restaurant. Read on for my tips on helping kids learn to like mixed foods…
Start with an easy mix
Start with mixing already liked foods together. For example, one of Miss 8’s favourites is a mix of penne pasta, hot smoked salmon, broccoli and baby spinach. I add one challenge food in there for her – cooked mushrooms. You can work up to including a challenge food if this is too big a jump to start with.
Deconstruct
Separate the ingredients out on the plate but also serve a small portion mixed. If there is a sauce or gravy involved, keep this aside or serve casseroled meats out of the gravy. If you do deconstruct, always offer a small spoonful of the mixed dish on your child’s plate or in a small separate dish for them to explore and learn. Don’t expect your child necessarily to do anything with this food. Just have it available.
Be food scientists
If kids are old enough, encourage them to brainstorm what kinds of foods might go well together and do some experiments to try these out.
Describe
Directions definitely don’t work with my independent Miss 8, however over time I have found describing tastes to her to be very helpful. For example, Instead of “Come on, just take a tiny bite, I know you’ll like it”, I might say “This sauce is quite creamy. It reminds me of the cheese sauce you tried with dinner last week. I can taste the cheese flavour in it. I can put some in a small dish on the side in case you are ready to try some tonight”.
Offer food YOU want to eat
With consistency, kids learn to eat the food their parents eat. Offer food that you want your family to learn to like. If it’s particularly challenging dish, offer it alongside a nourishing and filling side dish or dessert. Keep offering and don’t give up. It may be weeks, months or even years till your child is willing to interact with, touch, smell or taste the food. Nevertheless, you’re setting the scene for this to happen when they are ready.
Eat happy!
Deb Blakley
Accredited Practising Dietitian & Director
