I personally have no memory of being a picky eater. In my mind, I've always had a gourmet palette that's appreciated everything from a wide variety of fresh summer produce to exciting new international delicacies. However, my mom tells a different version of the story.

If her (admittedly far more accurate) account is to be believed, I went through an impressive childhood phase in which I protested any and all new foods. In fact, my approved list of dishes was apparently so short that my poor mom — who was already catering to my two older sibling's culinary antics — was forced to get creative when adding new dishes into the dinnertime rotation. Enter: My lifelong love of a good sauce. You name it, I've added sauce to it. Veggies dipped in dressing? A classic. Pasta swimming in marinara? My fave. Fish sticks with a heaping side of ketchup? Irresistible.

Though I like to think I'm the only person with an impeccably fine-tuned palette for sauces, I know this situation isn't unique to my own childhood. In fact, adding a side of sauce is a tried-and-true solution for moms who are looking to widen their child's culinary purview, which is why Romper has partnered with Simply HEINZ Ketchup — which is made with natural ingredients such as red ripe tomatoes and cane sugar — to find out the different healthy foods moms have gotten their kids to try by adding a enticing side of ketchup. As you'll see below, it's a beloved mealtime hack that is more versatile than you may have thought: