The Ever-Changing Food Tastes of My Baby-cum-Toddler

There is not much that has changed when it comes to my little girl more than the food she will accept. Sure, she’s taller, her hair is longer, she can now walk, and her personality is developing well (minus the attitude!), but her changes in food taste is certainly one of the most noticeable. Her catalogue of options has decreased quite dramatically as she’s transformed from baby to toddler, although sometimes it’s just a case of her playing funny beggers! I remember the first time she ever tasted food, when she ravaged a piece of broccoli at her nana and grandad’s house; try and get her to eat a piece now, though…

We’d (the wife had) decided on baby led weaning just after she turned six months, and the range of food stuffs the Mrs would give her was quite large (she even created an Instagram page for it!). Avocado on toast was a particular favourite, but she’d also make her veggie fritters, tomato pasta and little crumpets named pikelets, among other things; we never have been able to get her to eat egg, however. I even tried my hand at food art, but the plate usually looked more like Picasso when I was aiming for Michael Angelo. All of the above she’ll rarely eat now, albeit we have more chance with them than broccoli. Well, I called it eating, but it was more like throwing a substance at a gluey wall to see how much sticks, and the same can be said for my littlest girl now.

I’ve digressed a little; this is about food tastes rather than the fact that each time any of our babies have eaten, it’s looked like a mini tornado has gone off in the house and that their face has been more food than skin by the end of the meal. She improved in this regard, of course, but with a growing aptitude came a decrease in taste tolerance; particularly as she began to think for herself. It may have been her introduction to McDonalds and processed food goods from the supermarket, which is the only thing that we can confidently say she will eat for her lunch nine times out of ten (that and mac ‘n’ cheese). It’s often a battle to get her to eat even that at times; making it a toss-up when we go to eat out!

That might be a little unfair to her actually. She can have quite expensive tastes, as she has been known to wolf down a sea bass or braising steak, both of which had been introduced to her by her great grandmother, while she enjoys a good Sunday dinner (except the vegetables); that’s where she differs from her dad. It’s the in between; the normal, everyday kid stuff, that we struggle to get her to eat. Spaghetti and sandwiches (unless it’s pre-school) are regularly a no-go, and she is very picky when it comes to pizza. Like I’m sure many other children do, she clearly eats with her eyes and the most we'll get out of her sometimes is a pathetic lick as she tries it. Still, one thing she will never refuse, is cake or chocolate (sweets are not for her).

Whether it’s breakfast, dinner or teatime, getting my little girl to eat at present is one of the most frustrating things about being a parent. I entered fatherhood convinced that mealtime was where I was going to be strictest; that my girls would eat whatever I ate when they could; but it’s not quite worked out that way so far. What I didn’t bank on was having a stubborn little miss that gives more than she gets, and that very rarely does as she doesn’t want to, especially since she’s entered the terrible twos. Even the threat of no cake or yogurt rarely deters her.

By Calum Dewsbury