3 Condiments That Make Mealtime with a Toddler Better

Ayn-Monique Klahre
Ayn-Monique Klahre
Ayn-Monique is a lifestyle editor and writer who's worked for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, FamilyFun and more. She loves lattes, jogging and hanging out at the playground with her husband and daughters.
updated May 1, 2019
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: lisegagne/Getty Images)

Little kids are notoriously picky eaters. Whether it’s because they have delicate taste buds undulled by time, or are just refusing your food out of protest, sometimes it takes a few tricks to get them to eat healthfully. So I’ve done my fair share of cutting things into interesting shapes and separating ingredients to my kids’ specifications. Generally, as long as they eat what’s on their plate, I don’t mind if we take a sort of meandering path to get there.

One trick a seasoned mom taught me — that my pediatrician signed off on — was luring the kids with condiments. Having something that they can pour onto their plate or dip into makes the whole meal interactive for a young child (because, let’s be honest, they’re not there to discuss the news). And while at first I stressed that adding condiments to a meal would fill my kids with the “bad” kinds of calories, sugar, or salt, my pediatrician assured me that really, as long as they encouraged my children to eat the healthy stuff underneath, it was worth it. Here are three condiments that I’ve learned make mealtime with a toddler better.

(Image credit: Heinz)

1. Heinz Ketchup, $2.50 for 20 ounces at Jet

It’s an old standby — in fact, I remember a babysitter putting it on rice when I was a kid, and thinking that she was a genius. Now, I dole it out to my kids as a dip for meatloaf, sweet potato fries, or just about anything warm and savory. They love to squirt it onto the plate themselves (supervision definitely recommended) and the dunking keeps their hands busy so their little bodies can stay in their seats.

(Image credit: Hidden Valley)

2. Hidden Valley Ranch, $3.50 for 16 ounces at Jet

This is a newer addition, recently discovered at a friend’s house. For her kids, it was the only way they’d eat anything green; for my kids, it’s more of a novelty to get them really excited for crudité when I’m out of dinner ideas or trying to get veggies on their plates and into their tummies.

(Image credit: Oikos Greek Yogurt)

3. Dannon Oikos Plain Traditional Greek Yogurt, $3 for 5.3 ounces at Jet

If you don’t consider yogurt a condiment, there are some companies that would like to change your mind. A few months ago, Chobani released a squeezable pouch, branded with a brag that it contains less fat than sour cream. Dannon makes Kitchn’s go-to Greek yogurt, and I recommend letting your kids dunk chicken bites and pieces of veggie burgers in it. Also, I use Greek yogurt to make our own ranch when I’m on a health kick.

All of these condiments made it onto our list of the 100 most essential groceries. See the other 97 here.

Do you have any condiments that have helped you get picky eaters to try other foods? Share them below!