Keeping track of the foods your kids like from one day to the next could qualify as an Olympic sport. That delicious, perfect meal you know they loved yesterday? Suddenly they hate it today.
We all want the best for our kids, and it can be a challenge like no other when you work hard to nourish your kids well, just to have it feel like a never-ending battle of the wills. Add to this battle the unique elements of our kid’s development that include learning to advocate for themselves, coupled with a strong drive for autonomy (all things we want them to have, by the way), and you’ve got a recipe for frustrations and meltdowns (ours and theirs!) when it comes to food preparation and mealtime enjoyment.
So how can you encourage your kids to be more interested in the foods they eat (and that you lovingly, painstakingly prepare)?
Small, simple tweaks and a little creativity can make a tremendous difference when it comes to fostering a child’s appreciation for the foods they eat. The more involved you can allow them to be in the process from start to finish, the more invested they become.
For starters, the most important thing is remembering that your child’s pushback, no matter how frustrating and triggering it may be, is actually a good thing! From early toddlerhood onward, our kids are wired to seek out their own autonomy, meaning they’re supposed to challenge the “status quo” in order to learn their own limits and boundaries, piece out what the world around them means, and discover what does and doesn’t work for them. All of these things work to develop their sense of self and their place in the world. The more we can create a safe space for them to explore and learn, the better off they’ll be as they make decisions for themselves throughout childhood and beyond. And no, this isn’t supposed to be easy peasy. It takes a lot of practice, patience, and understanding for your child’s own unique will and developmental seasons.
Now on to the easier bits! A huge leap in working to dismantle mealtime battles and help your kids enjoy and appreciate their food is to get them involved in the process. The more responsibility they can have, the more invested they’ll be in the end result. Depending on your child’s age, this can look a number of unique ways:
- Let your kids pick out one new-to-them fruit or veggie to try when they go to the store with you. The weirder-looking it is, the more appeal to curious, inquiring minds! Take it a step further by visiting a local farmer’s market or take them to the source when feasible and visit a farm or orchard where kids can pick their own produce (and get their hands dirty!) You could even try your hand at a little bit of home gardening. This can be as simple as a windowsill planter pot and some herbs. This level of hands-on involvement gets kids much more curious and apt to try new things.
- Get your kids involved in food preparation. Whatever their age, there’s something your kiddos can do in the kitchen. For toddlers and up, there are several great kid-specific kitchen tools for teaching the foundational basics of learning to safely cut foods alongside you. Get them set up at a counter-height level (a toddler tower like this is great for that) and adjust for their level of readiness. For baking projects, set yourself and them up for success (and sanity!) by laying out a large cookie sheet to put supplies on so that any spillage is easily contained. For younger babes, a muffin tin with water and scoops is often a thrilling time if they’re not quite ready for more complex kitchen tasks. Even just washing produce counts!
- Let them help make their own lunch. Whether your kiddos are in school or still at home, this is great for both. Encourage choosing new, unique, healthier snack options (have you tried our plantain multipacks, btw?!) that you can sample and enjoy together. Have a snack sampler night to try out new things together in a fun way and make it even more memorable. Things like simple fruit and veggie shape cutters (anything in the shape of a star or heart just tastes better!) and bento box-style lunch containers can really go a long way in making lunch prep a fun experience. Check out this post for some great healthy snacks that we love.
- Try exploring a new cultural cuisine together. This can be such a fun experience to do together. Pick a region or country you want to explore (Colombia is a great place to start, in our humble opinion! 😉), and spend a little time researching some of the cuisine staples for that area. Choose a recipe to try and let your kiddos help with sourcing and preparing the ingredients. You can even go as far as decorating for the occasion if that’s your jam. As your kids get older, you could look into taking a cooking class together.
- Plan themed dinner nights based on favorite books, shows, movies, etc. This can really add some whimsy to mealtimes. The sky’s the limit here! You could also turn your normal dinner night into a “restaurant”, where your kiddos have to order from a menu (truly, keep it simple. The wow factor of trying something new can really go a long way). There’s so much fun to be had with this one. We’ve got a list of fun, easy-to-engage-with children’s books based around food below. There are endless possibilities here and loads of free info and ideas online.
We fully understand that opting for more involvement from your kiddos means adding time to the process, whether food shopping or preparing. Sometimes that’s not feasible. You just want to get food on the table in the fastest, least resistant way possible. We get it. So let this be just a one-small-step-at-a-time investment. Maybe start with one meal a week. One grocery store visit. Gauge where your child is ready and adjust as needed. Prepare yourself ahead of time with the appropriate expectation management (i.e. when eliciting toddler help for baking, for example, it’s likely to get messy. Set yourselves up for success!)
An added bonus in involving your kids young is that it allows them to grow up with useful kitchen skills, gaining more responsibility along the way and even reaching a point where they could be in charge of family dinner prep every once in a while. Go ahead and take the night off! This in-the-kitchen learning also lays the foundation of skills for them to be able to nourish themselves well outside the walls of our homes.
We hope this gives you some fresh ideas for getting your kids more involved in the kitchen and with the sourcing and preparation of the foods you enjoy together. We know the challenges with time constraints, busy schedules, and just wanting the path of least resistance when it comes to getting food on the table. It doesn’t have to be big to be meaningful and impactful for both you and your kids. Small, intentional changes can have a huge impact. The more responsibility you can start to give your kids, the more invested they become in the process, and the more excited they’ll be to eat the foods they helped prepare. Some of the best childhood memories can be cooked up in the kitchen, cultivating that shared space of wonder and creativity and nourishment.
Check out this small sampling of books for some additional fun ways to get your kids involved with their food!
Books:
