Textures for Tots … Avoiding a Food Fight

By Irene Swedak, B.Sc., R.H.N., R.N.C.P.

Eating is how we nourish our bodies with fuel and the building blocks for life. Eating is (or should also be) one of the great pleasures of life. Eating "consciously" i.e. consuming nourishing food…in adequate amounts, in a calm, happy environment is conducive to good digestion. Good digestion is the foundation of good health.

It is worth the effort of making family meal times a relaxed and enjoyable event. Jane Kauer, PhD, an anthropologist from the University of Pennsylvania, studies "picky eaters" and concludes that although pickiness is partly due to evolution, it is equally due to the breakdown of the social setting of mealtimes in Western society.

As parents, we set the stage, providing ingredients, and social constructs. Older children can help with preparation, setting the table, or entertaining younger siblings while you assemble meals. Your goal is to do this at least once per day for either breakfast or dinner. This is one of the most challenging jobs for parents to complete without utter chaos. Don't give up - stand your ground. Remember that you are teaching your child the values of closeness, communication, routine and stability. Viewed in this way, eating becomes fuel for the mind as well as the body.

Eating is a sensory adventure, invoking our senses of taste, smell, texture, appearance and even sound. We subconsciously record our early sensory experiences with food. We also associate our food experiences with life events. For example, if meal times are structured and comforting…we form positive associations with the food eaten and the environment. However, if mealtimes frequently involve power-struggles, hurried schedules and lack routine…we develop negative associations with the food, the meal, the cook, or all of the above.

How you handle mealtime struggles can make a world of difference.

Use these tips to turn struggles into learning opportunities:

• Educate you child's palate to enjoy real food. Parents must understand and respect that their children have likes and dislikes, just like they do.
• Forcing a particular food on your child that he really dislikes is not the answer. Resolve to try it again, another day. According to experts, it may take up to 11 tries for him to accept it.
• From the age of about 1 year, it is essential to provide your child with a variety of textures, tastes, mild spices, and various food presentations. It is common for a child to refuse entire food groups - like meat or vegetables. Do not panic. He is developing his palate and probably going through a phase. Short term, this is not a problem.
• Long term - he should grow out of the phase. If not, review what you are offering (is it appealing in terms of taste, texture, smell and appearance?). Are factors like time, mood, illness, or other people influencing his choices?

Toddlers have limited means of exerting control over their environment. They become sensitive to their parents' reactions and learn that they can manipulate a situation by accepting or refusing food. Provide your toddler with variety…before they enter the "terrible twos"! Already there? Stop worrying - healthy children will not starve themselves.

• Always have water and healthy options/snacks available. If you give in by offering sugary or salty snacks, you set the stage for using food as a "weapon of sorts" in the future. It's too easy to fall into this pattern.
• Toddlers have different appetites - they tend to eat more just before a growth spurt and less during. Recognize and respect these stages.
• Do not allow toys or distractions (phone, T.V., doorbell, etc.) while eating.
• Juice, milk and other drinks consumed with meals will fill small children up quickly, leaving them hungry again soon after. Water is the only beverage that should accompany the meal.
• Like animals, small children refuse food when ill. Do not force-feed. Your child's body needs energy to fight the illness. Digestion uses so much energy that it negates the body's efforts to heal. More adults should heed this natural phenomenon.
• Offer plenty of water, an electrolyte solution, and vegetable-based broths if your child is sick.
• What if you create a culinary masterpiece - and your toddler won't try one bite? Prevent a food war by having healthy snacks and finger foods available.
• As you prep your main course, leave out some single ingredients and prepare these as simply as possible for your toddler. Many tastes and textures in a mixed dish are refused because of their complexity. Small bowls with one or two ingredients each are often more palatable than combinations.

Since vegetables are most often refused, try these tips:

• Sweet veggies are winners: carrots, red peppers, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, pumpkin, peas, and corn-on-the-cob. Breast milk is naturally sweet, so this taste is well developed.
• Avocado, apple, pear, apricot, pineapple, mango and papaya are fruits that will "sweeten" the taste of more bitter vegetables, when added to raw dishes or soups/sauces.
• Use one of the sweet veggies above as a base for soups or sauces. Sneak others into omelettes, rice tabouleh, or stuffed mushroom caps or potato skins.
• Grate cucumber, zucchini, or carrot into sauces or soups, or use for garnishing. An in-expensive spiral slicer can help you make amazing "noodles" out of these veggies too!
• Experiment with thick soups, which are easier to scoop for little ones: pumpkin, leek, gazpacho, borscht, minestrone, and split pea.
• Soft veggie rollups: thinly shredded veggies, hummus or yoghurt, rolled in a whole-grain wrap and cut into bite-size portions. They can even help with the assembly
· Offer veggies as a first course with healthy dip. They are more likely to eat them if hungry.
• Sneak seaweed flakes, ground flaxseed and pumpkin oil into healthy homemade dip.
• Curries, stir-fries and stews (ethnic dishes): start with these between 12 and 18 months. Keep it simple, with no more than 3 colours, 3 tastes and 3 textures per meal.

Everyone has a different opinion. Ask 10 food and nutrition experts about feeding your child, and you'll get 10 different answers! My best advice to you is to do your research, listen to your baby and your instincts, and have the courage of your convictions. Life events are not always ideal. Aim for providing the best food options 80% of the time…and you really will be doing your very best!

For more practical tips and toddler-approved recipes, visit www.feedmecookbook.com or call Irene at 1-888-271-COOK, or locally: 416-948-9355.

If you become concerned about your child's eating habits or nutritional status, contact your health professional. This article is or an educational nature only, and not meant as a substitute for medical advice.

By Irene Swedak, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, co-author of "Feed Me…I'm Hungry!" www.feedmecookbook.com.  About the author: Irene holds an honours degree in biochemistry and nutrition from the University of Guelph. After attaining her honours in holistic nutrition, Irene founded Wellness Wizards Ltd., with headquarters in Oakville, Ontario.

In her private practice, Irene offers comprehensive nutritional counselling and menu planning for children, adults and those with special needs. Besides teaching for the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Irene offers lunch and learn programs and is the Director of Nutrition and Product Development for Healthy Sprouts Foods Inc. For more information, visit www.healthysprouts.ca or www.wellnesswizards.net.

© 2007, by Wellness Wizards Limited. Irene Wells Swedak, B.Sc., RNCP. 478 Dundas St. West, Oakville, ON. Tel: 416-948-9355 - Fax: 905-257-3979. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .