Testing my Toddler’s Taste Buds: Part 1
A couple of my kid’s non-aesthetic meals this week.
Some of these foods she has tried before. Some she hasn’t.
Does any of that matter? Nope! Love it one day, hate it the next.
🍴Cover photo: Hot dogs 🌭 and baked beans 🫘
Hot dogs always go over great! The beans.. eh. This day was a no go. 🙅🏼♀️
🍴 Peas 🫛 Grapes 🍇 Rice 🍚 Pulled chicken 🍗
Rice?! Starch?! The item with the least nutritional value on the plate?! Sign me up!
She used to love peas but veggies are low on her faves list of course. And she loves grapes but there was something better to be eaten. Chicken/most protein not in nugget form? No thank you 🙂↔️ I tried.
🍴Broccoli & Cauliflower 🥦 Apples 🍎 Peanut butter and jelly 🥜
Loves broccoli. Thank goodness. I can put broccoli with mostly anything else and she’ll eat it. Cauliflower to her is just white broccoli. We added cheese to make sure she still went for it with the other temptations available. Apples are a fave and went over the best. Peanut butter and jelly is okay but if she can avoid eating the bread she will. She’ll just lick the peanut butter off mostly.
What I’ve learned:
Put a minimal amount of the food you KNOW they’ll eat (ex. rice) with foods you want them to eat. They’ll eat their fave but move on when it’s gone. Offer the fruits and veggies and at least if they’re there, the kiddos will have the option to try them. You never know what they will all of a sudden love that day.
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Understanding toddler taste preferences can be a real challenge for parents. Introduce a variety of foods to gauge their reactions. For example, foods like rice received a 10/10 in one meal, while pulled chicken scored a disappointing 0/10. Notice how favorites can change day by day, encouraging parents to stay flexible and creative. With nutritious options like peas scoring a 3/10 and delicious apples rated a 9/10, it's vital to keep offering those healthy choices. A strategy: Serve a small amount of loved foods alongside new items so toddlers feel comfortable trying different options. It's important to remember that toddlers have their whims; what they love one day, they may dislike the next! Thus, patience and persistence are key. Experimenting with food presentation can also entice toddlers to taste more new foods. Pairing familiar items with unique flavors can turn testing new foods into an enjoyable experience! Ultimately, creating a positive dining environment where trying new foods is encouraged will help nurture a child's adventurous palate and pave the way for lifelong healthy eating habits.