Reply to I make my kids separate meals from us for pretty much every meal and I think it's better

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]I"m just throwing this out there because I constantly hear the advice about how your kids should "eat what you eat." But they don't want to! [b]It does't taste good to them -- they have brand new taste buds, so strong flavors are too much for them, plus kids naturally gravitate towards foods that are sweeter and simpler.[/b] I figure as they get older they will naturally become more interested in more adult flavors and start to eat more of our foods.[/quote]

I have every faith you know your own kids best, OP, and this may be true for them, but then to presume it's true for all kids is more than a bit of a stretch. I've known toddlers who grew up on spiced curries, and southwestern chiles, and who have adventurous palates, and some who do not.

You can say it's right for your kids without making rules about how it has to be for all the other kids, you know?[/quote]

I am from a culture that is known for its very spicy dishes and even we start out serving the children milder food and gradually add the spice in. OP isn't necessarily wrong in this regard, she might have just said it in a weird way.[/quote]

I have a South Indian friend, and her version of "mild" kid food is my version of "mouth on fire". :-)

OP can do whatever she wants with her kids, but common sense does indicate that [b]it will be easier for children to develop a varied palate if they are introduced to small tastes in childhood[/b], than if they suddenly discover it as adults. Also, OP assumes that it's easy for a family to just cook several dishes. Perhaps it's not for some busy families.[/quote]

Is there actually science behind this assertion? Because I grew up in a very “kid food” household eating Mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. and now I eat basically every type of food under the sun. The main things that changed my palate were 1) with age I began enjoying food more in general (vs. just eating for sustenance) and 2) I traveled, moved around, made a variety of friends and became exposed to new foods. My parents did try to introduce me to new foods when I was little, but I thought basic baked salmon and broccoli was like the grossest thing ever.

I am so grateful my parents never made family dinners a battle and never told me I had to clean my plate. My mom was big on teaching me to listen to my body. I used to subsist on practically air and they never made me eat if not hungry. I now have a healthy relationship with food and am still a size 2 after having 3 kids. I learned the art of not eating if I’m not hungry or not enjoying something.

Also my DH is also an adventurous eater whereas his sister thinks even sushi is totally out there weird. They grew up in the same house, exposed to the same foods. So I’m skeptical that we have as much effect on our children’s future food likes as we think we do. [/quote]

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