Is your kid giving you eating trouble? Here’s how you can get creative and put the fun in food:
- Let go and get messy: Your little one is just exploring the idea of food. Colours, textures, taste, smell; all this is new and kids are going to dive in and get dirty. Don’t stop them. Studies suggest that when children are given freedom to explore their food in their own way, like dropping and picking up food or choosing what to eat, they develop more interest in food, and the act of eating becomes less of a task. Don’t be afraid to join them!
- Face foods or Face Disguises: Kids are generally attracted to new faces or people and if your food or things on your dining can embody a personality, they might just give in and eat up. For eg…carve out face on the bread or draw up a smiley with sauce. You could become a napkin man and tear up two holes as eyes. Wear it like a mask and speak.. Playing around like this will keep your child engaged with food and everything about it. You can make faces with veggies too. Carrots cucumbers and peas-make for great partners in crime!
- Colour it up: Colors attract kids and having some colour on the plate will help a great deal. Colourful greens like broccoli or lettuce, red tomatoes, yellow capsicum. All of this can make a very boring, healthy sandwich a very enticing one!
- Animal shapes: Animal shape too can be great food buddies. Assign an animal for each veggie and bring your kid’s favourite animal story to life. This works big time: they get a bonus story time and plus they’ll be really excited and thrilled about their ‘furry friends’ being on the plate that they’ll forget to refuse.
- Finger Foods: Finger foods are light and easy to hold between tiny fingers. Plus they give the child the opportunity to eat on her/his own. Avoid feeding them. Let them pick up and eat on their own. When the kids are busy trying this, you can show them that you’re really interested in what they’re doing, show some excitement and the idea that they’re entertaining you, will get encourage them to continue.