Do you make your child eat funny things? Like you wouldn't eat?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to know if you think this is mean.... I feed my DS (13 months) things that I myself (and most normal adults) wouldn't eat. For instance, last night we tried cannelli beans as finger food (as well as a selection of other savory bits and pieces). DS didn't seem to like the beans so I took what he hadn't eaten and mashed them up in natural yoghurt (as he loves yoghurt). He ate this cold, gross, mush up no worries.

But my mum was here and she said it was "terrible" and asked me if I would eat this. Of course I wouldn't, but he was happy to, so I don't see a problem....

Am I setting my DS up to have terrible tastes?

oh no, no way are you mean.

I fed DD1 chicken liver and apple casserole, would never eat it myself. She loved it. Mind you she also ate a whole gherkin at 9 months as well as pickled onion and anchovies, so not sure she has taste buds anyway!

My son loves Olives ,me , I don't even need to try them to know I won't like them ;)

I make my kids eat things that I don't like. I don't want them to have the same adversions to food that I have; I avoid certain foods because I have tried them and know I don't like them. If my older kids say the don't like something that I know they have tried, that's a different story and I would not make them eat it again.

I remember giving my DS1 mashed brains, it was a recipe for kids in the Robin Barker Toddler Meals. He loved it, I personally wouldn't eat brains Lol! My sister still loves crumbed brains.
I also gave him liver and apples. My DS1 loves peas...my DH and I do not ever eat a pea! :)

Give them whatever, just because we don't like it, doesn't mean they will.
I read somewhere on here, that fussy eaters are born, so I say just go for it.

we are serial "mash-it-up with yohgurt" monsters here LOL! we found that a dollop of yoghurt made most stuff go down with DD!

LOL yep I do!
But he loves tuna (I think it's sooo gross!) especially mixed in veggies
He eats avocado and banana mashed together, probably his fav lunch of all time!
I hate peas and that's another of his fav foods
If we're having something for dinner I know he won't eat, I'll give him veggie mash that's pre made in the freezer. It's just whatever I had on hand at the time all cooked and mashed up together. In fact he had it for dinner tonight, was potato, pumpkin, brocolli, carrot, onion and cauliflower! He absolutely LOVES it and there is no way I'd eat all that together!

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we are serial "mash-it-up with yohgurt" monsters here LOL! we found that a dollop of yoghurt made most stuff go down with DD!

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Same here! If he wouldn't eat something, try a bit of yogurt with it! ALWAYS ate it lol!

I wont eat avocado but my kids love it

Yep why not? :p Anything healthy I'll give DS if he likes it there's nothing wrong with it at all, even if I think it's gross lol like plain Jalna yoghurt :sick: I just can't eat it even though I know how healthy it is, but he loves it. I think you're setting him up to have a really healthy and varied diet keep it up!

I'm a really fussy eater and I don't want DS to be the same. I hate capsicum, mushrooms, onion... so yeah, he'll be eating a lot of things that I don't like. As long as it's healthy, fresh and varied, I don't see the problem.

I don't *MAKE* her eat anything she doesn't want to. I respect her choices, if she doesn't want to eat it, she isn't forced. I wouldn't want to be made to eat anything.

On the other hand, I do offer her food I don't like. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean she wouldn't. I think it's good to expose them to lots of different things. I do encourage her to try everything, and if she eats it then great, if not then oh well, maybe next time.
I find Jalna plain yoghurt disgusting, but Jazz loves it and I buy it just for her. Shel can't stand capsicum, but Jazz loves that too.

You are not mean at all and LOL Leasha I think that was just a bad choice of words, I'd hardly imagine she was tying her to the high chair and force feeding her... like to see anyone try making a child eat anything LOL.

I think it's important as adults not to make faces or silly comments about any foods. It's how things get passed down. I let my kids try everything and I don't make a fuss or I make as much fuss as I would over any other food. Keep in mind though sensory issues with food is ok too, which is why screaming over a child who says they don't like the texture of pumkin or the feel of beans between their teeth doesn't mean a defiant child. ;)

xxx

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I don't *MAKE* her eat anything she doesn't want to. I respect her choices, if she doesn't want to eat it, she isn't forced. I wouldn't want to be made to eat anything.

On the other hand, I do offer her food I don't like. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean she wouldn't. I think it's good to expose them to lots of different things. I do encourage her to try everything, and if she eats it then great, if not then oh well, maybe next time.
I find Jalna plain yoghurt disgusting, but Jazz loves it and I buy it just for her. Shel can't stand capsicum, but Jazz loves that too.

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Well said I was just thinking people may think I was forcing DS to eat things but no. I agree with you Leasha, and I also don't *make* DS eat something he doesn't like but will offer stuff I won't eat.

(Snap with the Jalna :p)

I am the fussy eater of the world!!! But I do offer everything to DS1 that I am putting on DH plate.

DS1 will pick up things and sniff and/or put in mouth and often spits out things. I get him to eat vegies by cooking a lot in slow cooker as he seems to eat vegies if in a sauce.

Oh and Bloom I didn't think you were force feeding either :p

Put your cannellini beans in the food processor with natural yoghurt, a little garlic, and about 10 rosemary leaves, and you would eat it. I serve this all the time as a dip (OK, without the yoghurt, but only cos I don't eat dairy) and people love it.

You should serve it to your mum :D

mmmmm... depends.

Lamb brains. no.

the bean thing audax suggested tho sounds good ^^;

we subscribe to a 'you can't say you don't like it until you actually try it' policy here, and it applies to everyone. We figure we can't expect them to try new things as in actively choose to, if they don't see it modelled.

So if there's something I want the kids to try, I try it myself....have learned that I actually like a few things I wouldn't try pre kids.