During the early years of our children’s lives, it’s important that we try to ‘design’ their taste buds towards healthy, flavoursome food. That’s a challenging task when fussiness, sometimes mixed with total refusal to eat, drives us toward adding sugar, salt and butter in trying to jazz up a meal.
Here are some herbs and spices that you might like to try in your children’s meals
+ Cinnamon
Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to apple slices, bananas, custard, puddings, sweet potato, pumpkin and yoghurt. Nutmeg can be used in the same way.
+ Garlic
Add a tiny dash of garlic to pasta sauces, green beans, and chicken.
+ Basil
Can be used to flavour soups, vegetables and pasta dishes.
+ Rosemary
Great for chicken and fish dishes but be careful to only use the leaves and not the twigs.
+ Ginger
I find, in small amounts ginger is lovely served in baked fruit dishes and muesli slices.
Remember children’s sense of taste is generally much ‘stronger’ than ours and their digestion is still maturing. Start out with 1/4 tsp per two cups of food as a guide and add herbs and spices at the beginning of cooking soft foods such as vegetables and towards the end of slow-cooking foods.
It’s never too late to start adding the flavour of herbs and spices in your kids’ meals. It really is only fair that their taste buds don’t become accustomed to manufactured flavourings to entice their appetite – and you may just enjoy it as well!
Do you have fussy eaters? What are some of your favourite herbs?
