toddler eating chilli con carne .. bad idea?

[twiglett]

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I think its brilliant, my children love hot curries now and ask if there is coriander in it. Nothing wrong with introducing them to a bit of spice!

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I agree, let them have a variety of tastes but don't take him on a long haul flight today. That's what I did after myds's first taste of the hot stuff and he shared his bodily processes with rows 23-25 at 35000 feet.
So be prepared for his body to get used to it but go ahead

I agree with FF my dd (17mths old) eats all sorts and the spicer the better sometimes. Last night she had soicy mongolian goulash - was a bit spicy for my palette but I thought if dd is eating it, so am I!!!

Oh yes - variety is good at this age. (How do you think Mexican babies survive? )

Dd has already had various curries, and some pickled chilli. Sounds like you should make up a job-load of chilli! (or maybe he liked it just because you were eating it? )

Lucy123 you are probably right about that. Although myself, dp and dd always eat the same foods on most occassions, dd always wants what is on our plates even if hers is exactly the same.

I agree and it is an excellent way to get a wide variety of vegetables down their necks too. Mine love our Chilli Cottage Pie - basic chilli plus finely chopped courgette, carrot, mushroom and sweetcorn topped with sweet potato mash - really nice and they eat loads of it. Chilli, Bolognese, creamy curry was weaning food in our house - we can take them anywhere to eat now.

I always give my boys a curry before they see there dad

I think that's great!

twiglett - interesting you say maybe he refuses food because it's bland - I remember reading something nigel slater wrote once saying it's nonsense that children only like bland flavours because they will happily eat things like cheese and onion crips or salt and vinegar which can have a really strong taste.
I agree and think that sometimes DS only eats a bit of my food because it's dull!

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My two have always eaten the same as us - ds2 (2) loves curry and chilli, though with chilli I tend to take theirs out when it's just a bit spicy and add more chillies to mine and dh's. Be prepared for tomorrow's nappies though, Twiglett (clothespeg on nose I would expect!)

On the subject of bad nappies - ds2 ate half a jar of beetroot the other day (would have eaten the whole jar if I'd let him). Now that was a baaaad nappy

My DD loves chilli, I don't make it too hot and she has it with rice.

Absolutely fine.

Just to add to the loads of positive posts, my ds LOVES chilli con carne. He picks out all the kidney beans and eats them first! It's so nice now he's a toddler and I can give him all the stuff we have without worrying about it anymore. If he enjoys it, go for it! So much easier to prepare one meal for all of you than lots of different things!

i'm gonna try a mild chilli tonight now! Though i imagine dd will take one look and say it's incustard (disgusting).. If she ate anything i cooked i'd be over the moon

twiglett my 14 month old dd adores chili and scoffs it by the bucketload (esp beans) I don't make it too hot for her, but certainly some chili powder and cumin.

twiglett my kids have always liked curries, chillies etc the hotter the better for them in their opinion.

same here....dd (23m)loves curries/chilli etc. Usually exactly what we are eating. She also loves oilves and would eat jars of them.

Twiglett my DS is exactly the same age as yours and has been having chilli since his first birthday if not before. Since he was about 10-12 months he has had the same food as us, which at first meant a little modification on our parts. He eats medium strength curries also. Like Georgina's little one he is particularly fond of the kidney beans. If he'll have it great. I find my DS is at the stage now where if he can't remember having something before he assumes he doesn't like it.

Chilli is a big favourite in our house too! When I was exclusively b/feeding DS2 and I ate chilli he would get the most awful wind but now that he can eat it himself it doesn't seem to bother him. If it is a bit hot a blob of creme fraise seems to go down well with it.

My 11 month old didn't want his dinner the other night, instead he ate pork curry from my plate. It wasn't hugely hot, but did have lots of spices in. His stomach seems to have survived (no drastic nappies) but is 11 months too young? We eat lots of spicy food, so i'd love to be able to give it to him occasionally.

I don't know. I waited until after 12 months more because I was fanatical about making sure no salt passed my baby's lips before then (those were the days, when I was idealistic grin), but one month early going to make much difference? Dunno but doubt it.

If he enjoyed it, then I would go for it...

(prepared to be shot down in flames by experts though)

I gave both my DS1 and DS2 spicy foods from 6 months (homemade so no salt) of advice of HV, but she could be wrong .

it's all home made, so no salt, I'm a bit fanatical about that too!