Picky Eaters, Parts 3 and 4
Contents
Last 10 Articles
- Finding the Right Daycare for Your Child: What to Consider
- Compassionate Care: Understanding Long-term Options for Elderly Parents
- Everything You Need to Know About Allergies: A Parent's Guide
- Family Cooking Nights: Simple Recipes for Busy Weeknights
- Feeding the Future: Meeting Your Child's Nutritional Needs from Toddlers to Teens
- Veggie Delights: Creative and Fun Ways to Serve Vegetables to Kids
- Milestones Unlocked: Understanding Your Child’s Developmental Journey
- Self-Care for Busy Moms: Rejuvenating Wellness Tips This Mother's Day
- Meal Planning Mastery: Healthy Meals for the Busy Family
- Screen Time Sanity: How to Create Healthy Boundaries for Kids
Many parents have found that, for their toddlers, food seems to magically change with “sauce.”
Who can tell if it’s the actual act of dipping which probably seems a lot like play; the fun and independence of controlling part of the meal (“Should I have a little sauce or a lot of sauce?” “Should I mix the colors of the sauce and the food to make new colors?”); or, if it’s the actual taste of the food and sauces that kids like.
Whatever it is, if it keeps the kids eating (and maybe even quiet :)) at mealtimes, many parents indulge their kids with “sauce” and wonder if this is okay.
We pediatricians get this question often.
For most kids (kids with calorie and metabolic restrictions who need to monitor intake closely and specifically being the exception), I say, “Let them eat sauce!”
“Sauce” for children can be any of a number of things: ketchup, barbecue sauce or other condiments, salad dressings, yogurt, peanut butter, and more! We have even heard of families making a pile of EasyPeasie on their toddlers’ plates for dipping! Try to pick sauces that are free of preservatives, artificial colors and flavors; choose ones with whole ingredients so that they are good calories.
Remember that as far as palate-priming is concerned, the food exposure does not have to be large or isolated to count. Mixing EasyPeasie into the sauces, for example, will provide a little extra veggie exposure with every dip (and with Green and Red Blends, add a little fun with color)!
So, go ahead and let the kids combine as many different flavors and textures as they want – even if it’s something you would never eat (i.e. yogurt-covered tomatoes dusted with EasyPeasie).
Go wild! Let them eat sauce!
Sincerely,
The Peas