Parents, you can introduce anytime and sometime foods to your kids. It is very important that you talk about a certain food that you are introducing to your kid and not just say “you should eat this, it is healthy”, instead tell them why they should eat it and what it can help them with. They are at a growing stage and it is important to explain to them how certain foods can help them in their growth and development.
Explain to your kids the difference between foods they can eat any time they want and certain foods only sometimes as this will give them a clear understanding as to why there is a distinction and will help them to understand the reasoning behind foods that can be eaten at any time of the day they want and certain foods only some times.
Let your kids feel and touch the foods, let them smell them. Let it get personal. The smell is a very important component of food because it is deeply tied to how we as human beings experience flavor. A sense of smell can help in language development as well. As a parent, you can play a game with them and ask them to describe different smells which in turn will allow them to imagine and come up with words and in essence vocabulary. It is all how you think as a parent in the end and it is a matter of training their awareness and attention.
The sense of touch is also a very important component. Research has shown that kids who play with their foods tend to try and taste new foods better and faster than kids who aren’t allowed to experience it through sensory food play. I feel it does make a difference.
Kid-Approved Foods: Let’s talk about this. I have experienced that kids love to try new recipes that incorporate the foods they like. I have two daughters, and my daughters are my example. They both love avocado so, I created my avocado dipping sauce/dressing for them with all other healthy ingredients, and they both loved it. Anytime I use the ingredients/foods that they like to create a new recipe it is always successful so try this method with your kids. And my older daughter use to get excited and always used to ask if she can help me cook that dish in the kitchen, and that made me so happy and while we used to cook I used to talk about those ingredients with her, and their importance, even if she said, “I don’t know if I will keep eating that” but at least she had open ears to hear about that food.
Another tip is trying asking them- “hey listen I know you like mushrooms do you want me to try mushroom orzo pasta, it is delish” and you never know their feedback! And as you all know kids are very honest with their feedback and I love that about them. So, when your kids love what you’ve made, you know you’re on to a winner. And once you have experimented with this method and its successful you can use call those recipes as “kid-tested and kid-approved”.
