Little Lena Wilhare definitely does not fall into the category of finicky eaters. Bridget Wilhare posted a video on social media showing her toddler granddaughter Lena, making the most of a bowl of mussels with the greatest of ease. The shellfish is as special as seeing the little girl enjoy her food; it comes from her family-run business which is located near Letterkenny, Ireland.

Video on Twitter garners nearly 90,000 views

Nearly 90,000 people have watched “the 45-second clip” posted on Twitter as of February 18, IrishCentral reported. The toddler appears “totally absorbed in eating her dinner,” the Irish Times noted.

Introducing a variety of foods to children early on might help “avoid fussy eating,” according to MyKidsTime. After a child has already started eating “solid foods,” which is generally between four and six months, shellfish can be introduced. A caveat prior to offering shellfish to a child who has food allergies or who has eczema is to ask a physician whether it is okay.

Cook shellfish before serving to children

Also, essential before introducing to foods such as mussels, clams, or oysters is that the shellfish must be cooked, MyKidsTime also pointed out.

Young children are “susceptible to food poisoning.” When cooking fully, the shell should open.

As the video with Lena displays, mussels make for a fine "starter” food when introducing shellfish into a small child’s diet.

Just like mussels, so are clams worth a try since both types of shellfish are “smaller and easy for wee fingers to pick up,” MyKidsTime also explained.

Toddler serves as an example for adults to note

Seeing Lena seriously making the most of her bowl of mussels could be an example for adults, reserved about trying new foods, to branch out some and give a new food item a go.

The item does not necessarily have to be shellfish, but something different or outside the norm. After all, if parents feel hopeful about raising good eaters, it could prove most helpful to show rather than tell how it is done.

The approach and attitude that Lena depicts toward mussels is a credit to her parents, her mother Helen and father Johnny. The couple assures that their toddler gets the same meals as her parents, the Irish Times reported. "Lena loves her food, her mom stated. The 21-month-old food connoisseur “happily eats” items she is served.

Her mussels are also not masked with added seasonings to cloak the natural flavor. Her parents serve the item “just as they are” – cooked directly from the sea. Her mother stated that “they need nothing else.”

Different foods 'early on’ key to ‘adventurous eating’

Helen further said that Lena also “loves her chocolate buttons" – flat, button-shaped chocolates. She firmly believes that young children are more apt “to eat what is put in front of them” after a variety of foods are introduced “early on,” according to the Times and a child psychologist Peadar Maxwell.

Maxwell explained that “broadening children’s tastes is important.” Serving children no differently than adults sharing the meals encourages “adventurous eating,” the Times reported.

Toddler ‘oblivious’ to ‘fame’

Even if people do not broach trying foods new to their palettes, watching the video of Lena savoring her serving of mussels is well-worth 45-seconds. She is not only a great ambassador for her family’s business, but she is also adorable – and without anyone relying on gimmicks or stunts to captivate viewers. She brings a healthy dose of happy, mixed with cuteness, to the video that was taken by her father. Best of all is that her grandmother Bridget assured that Lena is “oblivious to all the fame,” as it should be.

Be sure to follow Blasting News for the latest information. Also in recent news was the chance encounter between toddler Carter Jean Armentrout and businessman Joseph Wright.

They bonded at the airport and passed time watching cartoons and talking Snoopy while waiting for a flight from Las Vegas. Additionally, the Santa Rosa Police Department hailed a Lyft driver as a hero for assisting and protecting a toddler found wandering shoeless during a rainstorm in California.
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