If you are a mom, you know – meal time can be the most frustrating time of day. We do our best to make healthy selections for our little ones, only to deal with temper tantrums until they get cookies, ice cream or cake. Hey, if I lived in a world where I was unaware of calories and fat grams, I’d feel the same way. Although, I think I’d be demanding Champagne or scalloped potatoes, but to each their own.
So, in an effort to confuse my wee guy into thinking the broccoli, turkey, pineapple, or noodle he’s eating is a treat, we provide “dip it.” It works for just about anything, and options that you think are ridiculous don’t seem to bother young taste palettes. Graham is especially fond of the pineapple-ketchup and green bean-ponzu sauce combo.
Our favorite “dip it” options include ranch dressing, sweet and sour sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and yogurt. Yes, I understand that some of these options have sugar and sodium, but I like to argue that the good outweighs the bad in this situation. I also think that providing a familiar dipping option with a new food encourages him to try new things. Nothing tastes bad with a little barbecue sauce!
P.S. One of the most important elements of “dip it” is that you allow the child to do the dipping. Sometimes I provide a brief demonstration (i.e. take fork, stab green bean, dip in ketchup, put in mouth). You gotta help the guy out, but the fun is that they feel like they are doing things themselves.
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