To season my 3 year olds food?

[amidsummernightsdream]

Dd has just turned 3. Eats the same as us and generally eats well. Up until now I have always plated her serving up without salt and then seasoned ours after.

Recently she’s been a little more fussy around certain foods including veg but tbh a lot of things taste bland and unappetising without salt, particularly veg!

When I have added (a small amount) of salt with butter she is more likely to wolf it down.

Tonight we’re having pan fried fish, asparagus, broccoli and new potatoes done with garlic, herbs and butter.

It’s 50/50 if she will eat this but I imagine if I seasoned it like ours (nothing crazy!) she’d eat it. Butter, salt, whats not to like?

Would I be unreasonable to lightly salt some of my 3 year olds food on a semi regular basis to encourage her to eat I wider variety of nutritious food she would otherwise likely not eat?

I don't salt anything other than potatoes which are pretty bland without, and poached egg. My mum overstated everything and still to this day put salt on things without even tasting them. When I first tasted veg without I was blown away. Not mushy or salty (sorry mum!).

DS has grown up without salt too.

No, too young to be adding salt to stuff.
Why not try herbs and spices to dishes? Will add flavour

I think it's fine to lightly salt some of her food as long as she's not eating a load of processed food containing salt as well! She's 3, not a baby. Lots of 3 year olds eat crisps, cheese etc and they're fine

It makes no difference if it's in grains or flakes. It's the same sodium chloride.

Yes cook sensibly and they don't need a tonn of tomato ketchup to add to food for flavour which is what kids want as they have boring food!

You are correct. It enhances flavour.

Go ahead and season your child's food.

Contrary to opinion here, you need salt in your diet. Not a huge amount, but you do need it.

@GaryLurcher19 of course, just using it as an example
I think some people are wary because of memories of parents pouring saxa into over boiled veg! A little sprinkling is different

Of course you can season your child's food. Most kids would probably not be picky eaters if their vegetables were properly seasoned and cooked.

There is a massive difference in taste between a boiled courgette and the same courgette cut into thin slices, brushed with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with a bit of salt, and roasted in the oven high heat with branches of rosemary and garlic cloves.
The combination of fat, salt and heat makes food ultra delicious. A piece of boiled cod is a bit yucky , a sole cooked in butter with the tiniest amount of salt will melt in your mouth.
It is far healthier to use a bit of salt instead of all the processed toddler junk food.

Oh, for god's sake, people die without salt! All the angst about it is because of people who have bacon every morning, a Ginster's pie every lunchtime, crisps on the way home and a pepperoni pizza for dinner.

Also - forget about designer salt unless it's an aesthetic thing for you. The UK is one of the few countries that no longer iodises salt, and over half the population is deficient. Mild iodine deficiency is proven to restrict cognitive development. I use Cerebos salt (French, from Sainsbury's). The sea salt you can buy loses its iodine during the cleaning process.

@amidsummernightsdream, yours sound like delicious meals and your DS is lucky to have the benefit of your cookery!

Used to drive me mad that the people giving out meals on my ward. (Children's hospital) used to automatically give out salt sachets with every meal. Fortunately I managed to get it stopped and if they want them they have to ask.

Agree - vegetables with salt is delicious! Bland otherwise!

Too young for added salt, but I add garlic, oregano, ginger etc in my DS food in small amounts depending on the dish. I never had salt on veg growing up and don’t now, but eat plenty of veg; I think it’s about what you’re used to. Veg roasted in olive oil can be a nice treat, and stir fry veg adds a different taste too, could try that? Some of the nutrients in certain veg become more bio-available after cooking such as in tomato and spinach. Also, mixing veg in with the meal so it can’t be picked out (tomato purée, spinach pasta etc)!

How did the salty veg go down OP?!

and even though some posters will think i’m fibbing

veg is actually tastier without salt in MY opinion (aside from corn on the cob!)