- Using Sauces And Dips To Encourage Tasting.
Using sauces and dips (homemade of course – most store-bought sauces and dips are full of nasty preservatives and have a high sugar content).
These can assist a child’s tastes to develop. Who said that you have to eat them in their natural state, all of the time?
- Involve Children In The Food Preparation Process.
When children are part of the process, they are more inclined to try new foods. It builds confidence and knowledge making the food on their plate less intimidating and more exciting.
There are child-friendly knives, which allow the children to chop soft vegetables without the risk of hurting themselves. Grab a small step that allows children to stand at the bench and participate. Other ways to have children participate include:
- Mixing
- Measuring
- Pouring
- Cutting
- Stirring
- Reading lists of ingredients
- Collecting ingredients
- Following methods
Involving kids in the kitchen can assist with:
- Comprehension mathematics
- Science
- Language development
Even more reason to get them involved.
These 5 strategies will make a difference to the way that your children view food and will also assist with reducing the stress at mealtimes. Building a positive relationship with food is integral for future belief systems surrounding nutrition, flavours and mealtimes in general.
We all have our own memories from our childhood around food and mealtimes. Sit back and review what kind of memories your children will take with them. Try to introduce one strategy at a time, each week, and build on the changes that you make. Trust in your abilities as a parent, role model and set the foundation for your child’s own Healthy Platform.
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