The Uneducated Palate
By Judy Ferril
When did you learn to really enjoy food? To take those flavors and savor them -
feel the explosions in your mouth and enjoy the assault on your senses?
People often think that toddlers don't have any tastes for foods - I disagree.
Not too long ago, my grandson moved from jarred food and formula to "real food".
His mom was provided with a variety of tastes to explore as a child and wanted
the same for Connor - not just toddler meals in a jar.
It does take a bit of work, but not if you plan ahead. When Connor was
graduating to whole foods, I used the remaining jarred food at our house to make
mini-meatballs. It was really quite simple.
1 lb extra lean ground turkey or chicken breast
Dash each of pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder
1 egg white (no yolks before age 1)
1 small jar of baby vegetables
1 small jar of baby sweet potatoes
Whole wheat bread crumbs to blend
Mix the above ingredients and form into mini-meatballs. Spray a baking dish with
light coating of olive or canola oil. Bake in 325 degree oven until the internal
temp is 165 degrees and they are not pink. They freeze wonderfully.
One evening when Connor was staying with Grandma and Grandpa, I fed him a few
spoons of a toddler meal. He was fine with it, but his eating was mechanical. I
placed a few pieces of Grandma's meatballs on his tray. After a taste or two, he
quickly figured out how to pick the food up quickly. There was a noticeable
difference in his response to the food. You could see him feeling the difference
in the food texture and sampling the flavors. Then he gave me a quick signing
signal for "more". Connor now eats a variety of meats, poultry, vegetables,
salad with ranch dressing, burritos, and loves guacamole, soups and chili's. At
day care, the other children comment on how Connor likes tuna sandwiches and
they don't. I hope peer pressure doesn't take this away from him.
When your child (or grandchild) approaches table food time, teach them to enjoy
flavor and variety. There is so much more to life than chicken nuggets and
frozen peas or mixed veggies. Celebrate this opportunity to teach them life-long
healthy and flavorful eating habits. It will serve you all well.
Are you a stranger in your own kitchen? Do you think eating healthy means no fun
or flavor in your meals? Judy is the self-trained executive chef for the Ferril
family and loves to share her passion for cooking and healthy foods with others.
Join Judy Ferril at Baking With Lemons. What does baking and lemons have to do
with fun, flavor, and health? Come see, stretch your imagination and enjoy new
tastes and flavors at
Baking with Lemons and
Local Food
Connections for fun and healthy local food options.
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