Why do toddlers prefer processed food?!

[creations]

Hi LT
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Yeah I've made heaps of different fish and meat dishes but he doesn't eat them.  I suspect he only likes the bought ones because of the salt.  I've thought this for a while but I can't be sure.
I've made fish cakes and meatloaves (with turkey mince or chicken breast which I've whizzed to a mince at home as we don't eat beef), he basically doesn't like them and even on the odd occasion he has eaten a bite they are never a sure thing and mostly result in me having a load left over that he won't touch.
When I've made fishcakes he wouldn't eat them, possibly because at that time he didn't like potato so anything with potato in he would refuse, but then he didn't take the ones I made with sweet pot either.
I think I either need to try cooking with some salt or accept he doesn't eat protein.
I don't use salt in any of my other cooking (pasta, veg) and he eats fine so he's not a total salt addict it's only my guess about protein and salt. 

[ZacsMumme]

Creations this is interesting as I have wondered the same thing! In nz we can get 100% hoki fish fillet in bite sizes, I managed to get Z to eat these instead of fish fingers, and same with kumera chips vs potato chips (hot, and now homemade in chip size) I'm not sure what it is with processed crap they like but I have found gently introducing the foods Z rejects in a sneaky form first, helps with general acceptance. Ie smoked salmon, cream cheese and spinach Sammie today when 2 weeks ago he would have rejected the spinach! I then showed him what it was he ate ( I had same) and said yummy spinach!

[creations]

Recently I bought some fish cake type things which have potato and veg in too (they are actually not bad in terms of ingredients).  There is no problem with him eating veg so I wasn't looking for a hidden veg but I just decided to try it for the protein aspect.  He ate it fine.  Now that had potato in but he wouldn't eat mash potato, boiled potato at home or in a restaurant etc...which led me to think that his rejection of MY fish cakes was lack of salt.  But also he has just recently eaten potato which he wouldn't before (he would eat home made oven baked chips or roast potato previously but not mash, boiled or pot salad).

Another thing that 'bothers' me is that even if he started eating home made fish cakes, fish fingers, meat loaves, meat balls this is not our normal family food.  I don't mind making a batch of something for him that is different for him to eat at his snack time or supper time (when I don't eat.  And I do do this with the bean burgers and pancakes, oaty bars etc) but at the root of it I'd like him to get used to real fish and meat so that he is eating our regular kind of protein at meal times.
I also make home made chicken pate (so it isn't salty like the shop bought pate) and smoked salmon mouse (which is salty because of the smoked salmon but at least doesn't have added salt too) which he likes and will eat sometimes.
Sara I think I got him to take potato in the sneaky way you did with spinach.  So maybe one day he'll develop a taste for home made chicken or fish too.

[Chicane]

Just saw this thread. DS will not eat potato of any kind - not even deep fried store bought chips. Who in the world doesn't like potato!?

Anyway - thought I'd chime in with my 2 cents. I get you not wanting to cook separate meals...totally. To me it sounds like he's just following what his body needs and right now its not a lot of protein.

However, the key to the best home made fish fingers and chicken fingers is panko bread crumbs - these are flaky Japanese breadcrumbs - if there is an Asian store or large supermarket near by you should be able to get them. They crisp up so golden and crunchy - so much nicer than normal bread crumbs - give it a whirl, you will never go back to normal bread crumbs!

We also do sesame chicken fingers - I get a chick breast dip it in raw sesame seeds and then pan fry it till golden. Its a double whammy cause sesame has great protein and other stuff

The other thing to use if you want to boost his protein intake is chia seeds - you can sprinkle them on anything and everything and they are a great source of protein and best of all they have no flavour and you can hardly notice them. You'll find them in a health food store or bigger supermarkets. Check them out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_hispanica#Nutrient_content_and_potential_health_benefits

xo

[amayzie]

I was also thinking that you might be ok to add some salt (try other things first of course- the other ladies have some AWESOME suggestions!)- in that probably the amount of salt you would add at home is not as much as the amount they manage to pack into it in a processed product (as well as everything else of course).. and it may only take a small amount of added salt to make all the difference...

[creations]

Chicane, thank you so much for taking the time.  I love your suggestions.  The sesame chicken sounds totally yummy!

So today's dinner was interesting.
Despite not usually providing DS with a different meal today I decided I'd do an experiment with turkey breast.  I had two breast steaks for DP and me but in the pack were also a few small pieces too.
I marinated all of it in soy sauce (so there's the salt), lime (thinking might change the texture) and garlic.  Then with the small pieces I did a bread crumb and cheese coating (dip flour, dip egg, then packed on a coating of home made multi-seed bread crumbs mixed with grated mature chedder).  And did a semi deep fry.  DP and I both thought they were lovely (we ate the 4 left over), but I don't want to be making stuff like that for us.  I think DS likes things fried and I don't mind him having extra oil but DP and I don't make a habit of eating fatty or fried foods.
The steaks I griddled.

DS ate one and a half of the 'nuggets' so it seemed to be a winner.
I also gave him a piece of the griddled turkey meat.  Initially he put it in his mouth and had a chew, then it came out of his mouth was thrown pretty harshly down onto his plate and then he threw his fork at me!  Then hit me!!!
Goodness!  Pretty mad then that I had given him a piece of my turkey.  This is NOT his normal behaviour at meals.

So...if I hadn't provided the coated nugget then he would have done his usual of just eating the rest of his meal and zero protein.  But I am really not going to start up making him separate things for family meal time.  I never have and today was just an experiment with the turkey.

[koe2moe]

I also gave him a piece of the griddled turkey meat.  Initially he put it in his mouth and had a chew, then it came out of his mouth was thrown pretty harshly down onto his plate and then he threw his fork at me!  Then hit me!!!
Goodness!  Pretty mad then that I had given him a piece of my turkey.  This is NOT his normal behaviour at meals.

hahaha that would have been how i wanted to do to my mother when she lied to me about what food she gave me!!!  I never did, just boiling with anger inside.  did you tell him what it was? 

You did double salt which must be yummy

[EllenS]

Oh, you have probably figured this out already...but liking or not liking something only means how they feel TODAY.
My kids regularly tell me they "hate" their favorite foods, to the point of throwing tantrums and being sent away from the table because their world favorite food was put on their plate without asking them first.
A lot of this is his independence/personality developing, the food is just an opportunity to exercise it. (especially if it bothers you at all....they can tell, no matter how hard you work at not seeming bothered).

[creations]

did you tell him what it was?

He could see what it was.  He watched as I cut it from my steak and put in on his 'centre' plate to cool, plus I told him what I was doing.  Then he watched me transfer it to his eating plate, and I told him.  Then I helped him load his fork with it (he is only just on the brink of self loading and it's clear if he wants to have a go himself or he will indicate he wants help or for me to do it, or he can use his fingers of course), this was hand over hand helping him stab the piece, he totally knew it was not the same as the crumb coated stuff.  Odd little boy to get so mad at me!

You did double salt which must be yummy Tongue

Triple salt considering the salt level of bread in the UK is higher than other countries!  There wasn't a LOT of cheese or soy sauce though, but even so...

but liking or not liking something only means how they feel TODAY

totally.  His dislike of meat and fish has been going on for about 12 months though   At 6 months he gummed down a big chunk of beef and would eat eggs like he'd never tasted anything so wonderful before.  But I'm sure it was because he was just SO into solid food that he would eat anything at all (apart from broccoli, cauliflower, potato, rice and meatballs).  I can really see his real dislike versus what he doesn't feel like eating today.  Just this week he has accepted broccoli which was one of the few veg he really truly had a dislike for, he will now eat the long stalked variety with the flower head cut off as he still can't cope with that texture.
The stuff he just doesn't feel like eating today isn't a bother, I feel comfortable that I offer a reasonable selection for him and if he chooses not to eat any then he's either not hungry or teething.
I suppose I am a bit bothered by him not wanting to eat meat and fish, I must be to have started this thread, but I really don't think I show it.
Currently I work around it with chicken liver pate, beans, bean burgers, lentils and humus things like that...although he won't eat my salt free home made humus lol

It's swordfish tomorrow, I wonder if he will try some.

[koe2moe]

vibes for tomorrow!   i admire your determination. 

Was it a warm day today there also?  When DS sweats a lot, he wants more salt.  From about 18mo, he actually wanted to dip in finger in salt to lick! lol.. or there were days he could eat a whole packet of salami (which is too salty even for me).  Just thinking out loud. 

[amayzie]

I shouldn't laugh.. but that really is a funny scene!!! How DARE you Mummy!!! I can see that this sort of behaviour lies in my future too... ah - the joys of toddlers!!

hmm... the weather thing sounds good..

AND- i'm sure it's just a phase- i'm sure he will come out the other end as a little foodie like you guys...

[creations]

It was warm and muggy here, rained a few times, enough to make the air hot and wet.
There is something else going on with him, prob teeth movement as he has been asking for the teething gel before bed (but who knows it could just taste great), yesterday he fell asleep on me at 11.30am (he does NOT sleep on me and nap time is 12.30) and today he nodded off in our toddler dance group at 10.15 so he is not himself.  it was REALLY stuffy at the toddler group, he was a sweaty thing when he woke up.

i'm sure he will come out the other end as a little foodie like you guys...

My mum and my DP are both SO proud of the things he eats.  DP loves that DS eats asparagus, to me it just seems normal, it's just veg.

But Katy, it suddenly occurs to me that you are THE girl to tell me what to offer DS.  Hamish eats loads of meat and fish doesn't he?  I have images of him chomping through an entire hog roast

[~*Nicole*~]

I have found the same thing about a preference for processed food. Although DD would eat ANYTHING as a young toddler just starting out on eating foods beyond baby foods. DS is another story altogether. And now DD can assert her preferences LOUD AND CLEAR and it is always less veggies than I'd like, much more fruit and PROCESSED stuff. I am just about to try making these homemade chicken nuggets where I actually food process and GRIND up the chicken to mimick the consistency of the processed stuff but so I KNOW what is in them and can modify as needed.

http://amandascookin.com/2011/09/homemade-chicken-nuggets.html

DD used to eat EVERYTHING...meatloaf, tilapia/salmon, steak, pork chops, chicken breast, etc. Tons of veggies. Now she turns her nose up at lost of these things.

Drives me mad.

[amayzie]

Hamish eats lots of meat, not as much fish- but we haven't offered him heaps lately.. DH isn't that into it- i need to get onto it! I think though that hamish is just a little younger and so is still happy to eat a wider range. We have been having a lot of slow cooker stews lately and he loves them- and he's always been a massive meatball fan. The FAVOURITE food is pasta with bolognaise sauce (like daddy). Did you say he eats tinned tuna? you could mix that into a tuna bake.. pasta and corn and such?

Will he eat more at different meals? Is dinner just not his meal at the moment? Hamish has always been a breakfast guy- so eats big and then eats less by the end of the day. Also- it occurs to me now that maybe he eats most at breakfast as it's ALWAYS THE SAME- you know how babies like predictability and routine. Perhaps the different meals every night are confronting? Get what i mean? It's just a theorey.. Perhaps you could try making up a larger serve of what you are having one night- and then offer him the same thing for a couple of nights- even though you have something different perhaps? Does that make sense? Perhaps the predictability might help? Dunno... just a thought. The thing with processed foods too is that they are always the same- a fish finger that you eat today is the same exactly as the one from next week... maybe this is something?

[skatty]

Maybe I can marinade chicken breast in something before hand to make it tastier too.

MY dd loves pesto nuggets, I did pieces of chicken in pesto (red or green) instead of egg and coat with breadcrumbs, much nicer than plain nugets, DH and I like them too!