Do You Give Foods to Your Baby That YOU Don’t Like?
A conversation with a vegetarian friend of ours this weekend left us wondering just how our babies’ diets are influenced by our own.
Our friend doesn’t eat meat because she dislikes the taste and texture, whereas – of course – others avoid meat due to ethical reasons. Because her meat avoidance is due to a personal dislike rather than a principle, she has chosen to include meat in her baby food recipes and will allow her son to make the choice for himself later on.
Yet she told me that she literally has to grit her teeth when preparing his food as she finds the appearance and feel of the meat so unappetizing!
Meat, of course, is not absolutely essential to the diet and there are plenty of healthy alternatives. But what happens if you really dislike a particularly healthy fruit or vegetable that you know would be a valuable menu addition for baby (avocado, for example)? Do you pretend to like it, to encourage your baby to eat? Do you serve it JUST to him? Do you even prepare it for him at all?
Fortunately, we really enjoy most fruits and vegetables, but there is one notable exception – Brussel Sprouts! Personally, my dislike of this little green veggie stems from childhood, when I was served them overcooked (which seemed to be the norm back then) and in abundance! Despite trying to cook them in various ways ever since, I still find them… horrible! And, I’m ashamed to add, I’ver never even tried offering them to my children.
As it happens, Brussel Sprouts are rarely available here in the Bahamas, so the issue doesn’t come up often – but I can’t help feeling a teeny bit guilty that there’s a perfectly healthy veggie that hasn’t yet made it on to the plates of my little ones!
So how about you?
Is there something that YOU really don’t like, but still valiantly prepare for your baby? Have you forced yourself to eat things you don’t enjoy, just to set a good example? Or does your baby’s menu pretty much resemble your own? We’d love to hear your comments!
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I give my daughter foods from her daddy’s ethnic background which I will not eat … I am a very fussy eater and so far my daughter has eaten everything we’ve given her … she’s only eight months … so she’s only been eating solids for a couple of months … we’ll see what happens as she gets older
Hi
I have to say that there is lots of stuff that I dont eat, and I dont give it to my baby as well. Maybe because I would have to prepare it especially for her (some of it I dont even know how to prepare). I dont think one should keep your baby from eating meat because you are a vegetarian – that choice should be made by the person him or her self when capable. I think I should try giving my baby more of the stuff I dont eat, maybe she will eat more..LOL..Thanks
I am not a fish lover, but give it to my son regularly. I figure it is my responsibility to introduce him to a variety of food, whether I like them or not. Hopefully, when he is able to make his own food choices he will be a healthy and non-picky eater!
Out of conveniece I mostly prepare things for my babies that the rest of the family eats but then again we eat a variety of foods and aren’t too picky and thankfully neither are my twins or my older child. I used to be vegetarian and think that if it is your families lifestyle and you are knowlegeable about how to have a healthy vegetarian diet then you should feel free to keep babies on the families eating habit just as if your family were kosher or any other particular eating style. I think the most important thing is introducing your children to a wide variety of foods from early on and as a family be open to trying new things.
Our 20 month old twins have always been very curious about food, so we have fed them absolutely everything… even things we may not particularily like ourselves. My hubby and I think it is important to expose them to as many diverse flavours as possible and allow them to develop their own likes and dislikes over time.
It is time consuming to prepare special food for the girls, but I think it will pay off in health rewards and highly developed palates!
I don’t really try to avoid feeding my LO foods that I don’t normally eat, I like to think I give her a big variety, not just for taste, but also for the different nutrients that are in different veggies. I have found that I am trying new foods, that I have never eaten before just because I have been told that they are good for my baby, lentils, and wheat germ for instance (I never bought these before)
I gave my first son many different choices, whether or not I cared for them. (He’s now 15!!) His favorite was creamed corn and mac and cheese – and I couldnt even stand the smell of it!!
I plan on doing the same thing with my new-born son. I want him to also decide for himself if he likes or dislikes something.
My son is now 10 months old and will eat anything I feed him. I
absolutely cannot stand the smell, touch or taste of liver but I
made it for my son Dylan and he loved it. I also put mushrooms in
any recipe I can and he eats that (I really dont like shrooms
either)
I would like my son to grow up eating and trying all kinds of food
without a fuss. He is also a very energetic little man and needs
as many nutrients I can get in him.
I make up a freezer drawer full of meals and defrost them as I
need them, he also loves snacking on all kinds of fruits. Not
sure if I am lucky he does or its because i have given him a wide
variety from as early as i could but it seems to be going very well