Exposing a toddler to all the ingredients gradually without cornering them to take a bite of something possibly overwhelming hopefully pays off with time. Some children do not need the breakdown, they just "look and love" whatever is placed in front of them. But some are more suspicious, cautious, sensitive, PICKY!!!So without too much psychoanalysis and no extra cooking, you can expose them to your own cooking gradually. You are giving them control over what they eat. Truly, that is almost the only control they have at this point in their lives.
As you create a low stress social mealtime with a toddler who may only eat the pasta and taste one thing, this is your opportunity. You have a captive audience, chewing on noodles, looking at you, so: talk about the food, smell the food, have them move the food to a "bye-bye bowl" when they are done so they touch it, have them feed you a bite with their fingers. Before you know it, they will grasp the concept of: taste it once, to see if you like it?
Patience! Friends...I have to admit, as a reminder to myself, as I prepare these dishes, I have a hungry toddler yanking at my leg and every time I cave and hand her a cracker to tie her over, I have decreased my chances of all my efforts leading to her tasting something new!!!
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