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A young toddler likes to eat fancy meals like lobster and short ribs – leaving other parents ‘shocked’.
New York professional chef Jack Zhang, 31, said he wanted to make sure his son Levi, 2, doesn’t become a picky eater, according to SWNS news agency.
So, from the time the child started eating solid food, the father has been serving the boy an array of fancy dishes in an effort to make eating “fun” for his son.
The child has eaten scallops, ratatouille and pork dumplings and likes to try new things, the father said.
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Zhang said, “I started making baby food from scratch when he was young. I like cooking – that’s my passion. Now I always have someone to cook for.”
He also said, “I love introducing him to all types of dishes, cuisines and cultures,” as SWNS reported.
One father said that when his child (not pictured) was very young, he would “make rice, salmon and peas and cook and mix everything to the consistency of baby food”. As another serving example, the child was recently served braised short ribs with parsnip puree, the father said. (iStock)
“The mindset for him (is) not to be picky all the time — and to try a bunch of different foods.”
Chef Zhang — who is married to part-time English professor Emily, 28 — grew up on homemade meals, he said.
He wanted to replicate that for their young son, so he started making meals from scratch.
A New York chef — who is married to a part-time English professor — grew up on homemade meals, he said. He wanted to replicate that for their young son, he said. (iStock)
Zhang said, “In the beginning I tried to introduce him to proteins like fish and meat. I made rice, salmon and peas and cooked it all and mixed it into baby food. He really enjoyed it.”
“I would make rice, salmon and peas and cook and mix everything to the consistency of baby food.”
He added: “When he was young he loved anything with salmon in it and as a little baby he loved Greek yogurt.”
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When the child was 18 months old, the father was able to try his new dishes on his son, he said.
“When he was young he loved anything with salmon in it – and as a little baby he loved Greek yogurt,” one father said of his young son. (iStock)
Bow serves dinners such as scallops with cauliflower puree, quick-pickled cucumbers, radishes, microgreens, and tobiko (a type of fish roe).
Zhang said, “When I was 18 months old, I started giving him things he could chew on. It helps him explore and learn. I recently made braised short ribs with parsnip puree (for him). He really enjoyed it. “
The father said his son loves avocado, seafood and fruit – and is always willing to develop his “curious palette.”
A couple feed their very young toddler son an array of interesting dishes, including seafood and ratatouille, they said. (iStock)
Both parents said they tried to excite their son Levi with a variety of foods.
Chef Zhang said, “I made a ratatouille inspired by the Pixar movie. We let him look at it first to get him excited. We make food fun. They want to experience different textures.”
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Strangers are “shocked,” said the father, to see such a young child try different foods.
Zhang said, “I think people are shocked when they see someone (so young) eating different food… People say, ‘I’m 40 and I haven’t even tried that yet.'”
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The parents said they are in the process of putting together a cookbook of some of their young son’s favorite dishes — and to give other parents ideas on how to get their kids interested in trying new foods, as SWNS reported.
“It’s never too early for kids to learn,” says Chef Zhang.
Maureen Mackey is editor-in-chief of lifestyle for Fox News Digital.
