H E A LT H Y L I V I N G
Mommy Tricks How to entice your baby with healthy food. By Hatoun Al Toukhi
I often hear mothers complaining that their toddlers refuse to eat the food prepared for them. Others complain that their children won’t eat vegetables and fruits; they would pick them out and throw them away. My daughter often says her famous word “Yucky!” and the struggle begins.
Firstly
“What should I cook for them? My kid just won’t eat! My baby will starve to death!”
Secondly
Let us talk about age groups; from 6 – 12 months. Babies are less picky, that is why once you start introducing solid food to your baby, start with vegetables, not fruits. Why? Fruits have a sugary flavor; once their taste buds like this flavor, your baby won’t accept the savory flavor in vegetables.
The veggies would be hidden and mixed in tomato sauce to give it a nice flavor. Stay away from salt as much as you can (I prefer to use sea salt in all my cooking). This way your child can start feeding himself (it will be a little messy, but cute). If your baby isn’t allergic to eggs, add the veggies to his omelet or scrambled eggs, you can add either potatoes or zucchini.
STAFF PHOTO/YASMIN OUF
From the age of 12 – 24 months, assuming that your child has grown all their teeth, some toddlers start recognizing the flavors they like most, whether they prefer sweet or savory food.
Start with vegetable soup. The trick here is to cut the veggies into very small cubes and add small Vermicelli pasta in it, so it looks like your child is eating pasta.
66 DESTINATION RIYADH JANUARY 2016