A chef has revealed how he serves his two-year-old son gourmet meals in a bid to stop him from becoming a fussy eater. Jack Zhang, from New York has served his son Levi everything from lobster to ratatouille. The 31-year-old and his English wife Emily wanted to replicate their childhood of growing up on homecooked meals. Mr Zhang said the extravagant dishes help Levi “explore and learn”.
The process first began when Levi was just a baby and Mr Zhang would turn dishes such as rice, salmon and peas into a baby food consistency.
Mr Zhang said: “He really enjoyed it. When he was young he loved anything that had salmon in it and he loved Greek yoghurt as a little baby.”
When he was old enough to eat solid food, Mr Zhang stepped it up a gear.
He said: “Around 18 months old I started to give him stuff he could chew. It helps him explore and learn. I recently made braised short ribs with parsnip puree.
“He really enjoyed it. He loved pulling it out the bone.”
Mr Zhang said his son has developed a “curious pallet” with some of his favourite dishes including avocado, seafood and fruit.
He said: “I think people are shocked to see someone eat different food so young. People say ‘I’m 40 and I’ve not even tried that’.
Adding: “Levi speaks extremely well for a two-year-old. I have full-on conversations with him.”
The couple are now writing a cookbook including some of Levi’s favourite dishes to try and to help give other parents give their kids different foods.
Mz Zhang said: His palette is always changing. It’s never too early for kids to learn.”
Speaking on making food exciting for Levi he added: “I made a ratatouille inspired by the Pixar movie. We let him watch it first to get him excited.
“We make food fun. They want to experience different textures.”
