Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why most parents don't give their toddlers any spicy food?

230 replies

laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 20:38

I understand not giving tiny babies jalepenos.

I understand (when they are confident with eating solid food say over one at least) giving them some plain options and a bit of moderately spicy stuff to try.

I don't understand waiting until they are 5, making a big fuss about it, then being surprised when they don't like it.

OP posts:
Rosebud05 · 25/10/2010 21:17

I gave my kids mildly spicy foods from very early on, but have always been cautious about chilli due to possibility of them rubbing their eyes.

Is this too cautious?

Original poster
laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 21:18

Olives are disgusting at any age.

Fact.

They are about the only thing DD spits out currently.

I hadn't really thought about toddler fussy stage yet either (not there yet) so perhaps I have seen people seemingly giving spicy food to their child for the first time at 5, when actually it isn't.

The at 5 thing, was partly me pondering about my own parents approach.

OP posts:
hobbgoblin · 25/10/2010 21:19

I didn't and wouldn't have dreamed of giving my first 3 DC spicy foods. Couldn't explain why, just didn't seem right. Had I been of a culture more used to using spices heavily in cooking then I suspect I would have given the children similar food to me, including chilli etc. It wouldn't make sense to not, would it?

However, I have become very 'into' a bit of heat in my food over recent years and now make my own Thai and Indian dishes fairly regularly so DC4 has had far more exposure. She has eaten Naga chilli from about 9 months and seems to enjoy it, and will have chicken korma no problem right up to spicier thai dishes we make. I do worry a little bit that her poo might be stingy so don't overdo it with very spicy stuff, and I am careful about her touching chilli spiced foods as she is BLW and will of course rub her face and eyes. Otherwise, everything goes and weaning is a far more relaxed affair than my experience of it 10 years ago with DC1.

Original poster
laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 21:19

I think it the chilli is cooked it is ok?

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 25/10/2010 21:19

some mums are braggy the tapenade,rocket eating,fair trade,ethically sourced yam bread made by blind artisans.

i love olives,am munching some garlic stuffed ones right now.dc hate em.wrinkle nose on sight

Kewcumber · 25/10/2010 21:20

ah but probably to your parents curry andd chilli would have been an exotic new food which they won;t have been fed as a child. Don;t think people are so hung up on feeding childrne bland foods these days

hobbgoblin · 25/10/2010 21:22

Oh, and the same DC1 who didn't get to try curries as a baby apart from some Hipp fruity curry or somesuch, now enjoys jellied eels, pickled eggs, pickled gherkins, left overs from any Indian take out we can get and so on...

Original poster
laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 21:23

Yes - I think you are probably right. My dad doesn't even like sweet peppers?!

Although he does eat curry now (but not any other spicy things I can think of). I should ask him when he first tried it, maybe it was just before he took us!

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 25/10/2010 21:24

always wondered are pickled eggs nice?are they solid or soft

maryjane71 · 25/10/2010 21:24

Curry was a revelation to me, when I made it at school it had apple and currants in it!

scottishmummy · 25/10/2010 21:26

my parents think worcestershire sauce spicy,never had any spicy stuff as kids.unless you count daddiews sauce and salt

nemofish · 25/10/2010 21:27

This is one area that, despite being supremely perfect in every other parenting arena, I have really fecked up.

Dh has a very bland palate, and doesn't really 'cook' as such, and when dd (4yo) was little I was obese and had my own ishoos with food. So dd has very bland tastes, and I am too ashamed to tell you what she eats, however luckily she loves fruit and veg, which balances it out somewhat. I have never worried about whether she is getting enough vitamins, but I have at times worried about her getting enough calories (although she is growing just fine and seems to have plenty of energy!) and sufficient protein.

I offer her 'proper' food on a regular basis, and recently she tried a plain tortilla (!) which would have been unthinkable a few months ago, also she is much more willing to try new fruit, no matter how weird looking, and new veg, preferably raw (??!)

maryjane71 · 25/10/2010 21:29

DH's auntie had a panini for the first time recently, and was very proud as she won't usually touch 'foreign' food. Pizza, pasta etc is out of the question

Original poster
laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 21:34

Ah, no feeling bad Nemo. Sounds like there is lots of positive stuff going on with her diet!

I love looking at all the exotic fruits at the supermarket. Especially Ugly fruit. (sadly wasn't that tasty though)

OP posts:
mamasmissionimpossible · 25/10/2010 21:34

We don't eat spicy food, so don't give it to our dc's. If they want to try when they are out then that's no problem.

Kewcumber · 25/10/2010 21:35

I think you'll find she had a panino (unless she was very greedy) Grin [pointlrss pedantry emoticon

MrsVincentPrice · 25/10/2010 21:35

I'm with scruffymuff and pistachio - DD used to literally scream in pain at exposure to chillis or pepper, even in tiny quantities. She's getting better very slowly, but she was genuinely hypersensitive to them - she's reasonably adventurous otherwise (she'll eat shellfish that I wouldn't touch with a bargepole).

DS used to be very keen on quite spicy curries, but as I couldn't cook anything spicy for DD he wasn't exposed to them consistently, so he's lost his appetite for them.

Crazycatlady · 25/10/2010 21:36

It would seem a real missed opportunity to me not to offer DD spicy food. She loves it. I made her a mild lentil dahl to try when she was 7 months old and at 22 months she's now quite happy wolfing down a lamb madras given half a chance.

I feel lucky that my parents exposed me to all sorts of different types of food when I was a toddler. I've benefitted from this throughout life and there is really no flavour (bar marzipan) that I don't like.

DH on the other hand was brought up by very conservative, cautious parents and didn't taste his first curry until he was 16! It took him a long, long time to enjoy spicy food as much as I do, or be brave enough to try 'odd' food such as sushi as they never even had fresh fish at home as FIL 'didn't like fish' Hmm. I just don't get cutting out entire food categories like that...

There is so much enjoyment to be had in eating a varied diet, so for that reason I'm going to continue encouraging DD to be adventurous with food.

nigglewiggle · 25/10/2010 21:44

What's the difference between a Panini and a Panino?

Original poster
laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 21:46

Panini is the plural of Panino.

Basically all the sandwich packaging is wrong!

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 25/10/2010 21:47

never mind spicy.that was picky.

Original poster
laweaselmys · 25/10/2010 21:53

I only learnt that on MN a few days ago. Maybe it was another Kewcumber post!

OP posts:
nigglewiggle · 25/10/2010 21:56

Thank you. Smile

kitcat83 · 25/10/2010 22:14

Do your kids like everything then?
What dont you understand, why parents dont give it?
maybe its because toddlers taste buds are very recedptive and an awful lot of them reaaly dont like the tingly sensation that spices give. even if you stir a bit of yogurt in it can still be too spicy for them.( thats if you CAN stir yogurt in, if your child can tolerate the lactose!)
What a stupid thread,Confused

hobbgoblin · 25/10/2010 22:16

Re. the eggs, I haven't been able to bring myself to try them but from what DD says they are just like normal hard boiled eggs but taste vinegary. Like a cross between pickled onions and eggs it would seem. I slice them in two for her luch and they are just like overdone hard boiled eggs.

I am now wondering whether maternal diet in pregnancy and/or breastfeeding has much bearing on infant tolerance of stuff like chilli?

I have eaten loads of hot stuff whilst pg and bf.