«I don’t want to, I won’t,» your child shouts, pushing away a plate of unloved or simply unfamiliar food. Then there are two options: either you force to eat everything on the plate (and food violence, according to psychologists, is one of the most serious), or you stop offering and wait until your child finally gives up daily pasta and «ripens» to try something useful.
However, there is an alternative. Try to interest a little picky. Chef Vlad told how to do this.
«This is a psychological moment,» the expert says. — If the child does not eat anything, it is not necessary to force him, relying on the benefits. Children may even try it if they don’t like the name of the product itself.»
For example, we took some of the most disliked children’s dishes: fish (especially fish cutlets) and porridge — including semolina.
Fish: you need to get used to the taste
«Fish can be disguised. Make small fish cutlets and say they are fish nuggets. This is certainly not the most useful way of cooking, but at least the child will get used to it.»
To «drown out» and slightly soften the taste of fish, Vlad advises adding a little lemon juice to it. Then it will be possible to salt it less.
The chef calls the most harmful way of cooking fish its usual frying: rolled in flour and in a frying pan. Vlad advises to give preference to baking: so the fish will turn out juicier and not so greasy.
«When baking, salt the fish and sprinkle with lemon juice,» says Vlad. — If you want to completely «disguise» it, you can sprinkle with grated cheese, which will melt in the oven. But not all children can perceive it either.»
In addition to lemon, salt and pepper, no other seasonings should be added. Even super-healthy greens: parsley, dill — will kill the taste of fish.
«First of all, look at baby food, there is nothing but salt there,» says the cook. — Secondly, not every child will like the spice, the dish may not like it even more. Therefore, you should not experiment too much.»
The expert calls mashed potatoes an ideal side dish for fish. The pasta adored by children will not fit here, and the rice will be dry and sauce is needed for it.
«I would not recommend giving children purchased sauces before the age of 5,— says Vlad. «But you can do it yourself.»
Homemade ketchup recipe
Add lemon juice, a little sugar, salt to the tomato juice, boil for 5 minutes. If there is a desire to add greens, then you need to first chop everything with a blender.
Tomato juice can be diluted with applesauce from baby food in a ratio of 1:1. This way the product will be more useful.
Cheese sauce recipe
Add grated cheese to the cream of 11-20% fat content. Cheddar is better, but any other is possible. Warm up the mixture so that the cheese melts, add a little lemon juice, salt, a little sugar, boil until thickened.
Important! Homemade sauces can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 72 hours.
As for fish soups, then you can take almost any recipe — with rare exceptions.
«I would not recommend red fish soups, the so—called fish soup with tomato paste, to children up to 6 years old,» says Vlad. — The rest are suitable for children, but again, do not focus on the word fish. If your child likes green peas, add them and name the dish green pea soup. And the fact that there are fish in small pieces, it’s not even necessary to say. Children don’t even always understand that it’s a piece of chicken or fish.»
Do I need to pass vegetables for soup?
Yes, but only slightly. Strong frying is harmful.
«If you fry onions and carrots until the crust is brown, firstly, the useful properties of the product are lost, and secondly, carcinogenic substances begin to transform in the oil,» explains the chef. — Therefore, you need to pass the onion to a glass color, this is enough for soup. So the onion will not give bitterness to the soup and will be almost invisible»
By the way, this option is also suitable for other vegetables that the child does not like. He won’t even know they’re there.
Semolina porridge: removing lumps
The most ideal option, according to the chef, if the child loves herculean porridge. It can replace almost all the others.
Moreover, it is better to cook it with milk, not with water. And even more steaming than cooking — so useful substances will be preserved.
«We cook less, cover with a lid, leave it and let it infuse,» the expert says. — You can add a little butter for children, we do not abuse sugar. It is better to sweeten the porridge with honey if you are not allergic to it.»
But diversity is also important. So, it is necessary to somehow accustom the child to other types of cereals.
Top 10 most disliked children’s dishes
Semolina porridge with lumps
Jellied meat
Olives and olives
Fish cutlets
Liver pancakes
Jelly
Herring under a fur coat
Pea puree
Compote with prunes/dried fruits
Stuffed cabbage rolls or stuffed peppers
Let’s start, perhaps, with manna. Many people call this dish the most hated from childhood. And modern pediatrics doubts its benefits. And what do the cooks think about this?
«Semolina is made from crushed wheat,— says Vlad. — It can be given to children, but without abuse, if you don’t want it to affect the figure. Again, it contains gluten, and now it’s fashionable to do without it. Although, in my opinion, as a professional, gluten is not so terrible, there are worse products. In fact, only 6% of people have gluten allergies or intolerance.»
By the way, semolina is needed not only for porridge. It can be added to cheesecakes, casseroles instead of flour, and cutlets instead of bread, milk and cream. Then they will turn out lush, airy and very tasty.
How to cook semolina porridge without lumps?
Pour the semolina into the warmed milk very slowly, stirring constantly. Moreover, it is necessary to mix more than pour.
«Semolina porridge is such a product, you can never leave anyone and you have to mix it constantly,» says the chef. — Lumps form when we stop stirring it. Then the semolina sinks to the bottom, «seizes», burns and begins to clump. If you abruptly pour the semolina into the milk and only then start stirring, you may also not have time. therefore, we pour just a little bit, constantly mix and cook on low heat. »
But buckwheat, by the way, the expert does not recommend giving to children under 5 years old. This product is not suitable for baby food, it is difficult to digest. If there are no other options for porridge, it is better to take buckwheat flakes. Since they have been processed, they are easier to assimilate by the body.
If the child does not want and does not like porridge, invite him to decorate the dish himself. It can be berries, pieces of fruit, sweet sprinkles, as for desserts or ice cream. The kid will get carried away with the game and will not notice how he eats everything.