Our friends at Kashi are offering anothergiveaway supporting crunchtime’sphilosophyof making it easy to eat better foods. In this case the focus is kids.
Author and kids food hero, Domenica Catelli, shares basic steps for getting kids to eat healthier foods – a challenge I face every agonizing day at the table. Her strategies are real, homegrown, effective and begin with shaping kids’ tastes and we have her advice on how. Itwill make you think “brilliant” and then make you think why haven’t I done this before? Maybe you have.
Domenica is giving away her ever so helpful book, Momalicious: Family Fresh Fast Food, to one of you.
And Kashi has sweetened the prize package with a collection of their snacks and cerealsincludingKashi’s new, all-natural Pita Crisps, made with their signature blend of Seven Whole Grains. They offer two blends:Zesty SalsaandOriginal 7 Grain with Sea Salt, The original dipped in hummus is a favorite in our household.
Also part of this edible prize package is Kashi’s newest snack, Peanutty Dark Chocolate TLC Layered Granola Bar. Like Kashi’s other bars, Dark Chocolate Coconut and Pumpkin Pecan, they’re made with the always nutricious whole grain blend. In our family, it’s a great carry along snack in case hunger strikes on the road. Dark chocolate and peanuts offer brain boosting nutrition might just help with homework.
Entry details and Domenica’s strategies below.
Five Steps to Shape Your Kid’s Taste:
1. Expand your children’s palate from an early age.
- Create your own baby food instead of purchasing jarred foods
2. Develop your kids’ taste buds with unique flavors.
- Introduce new flavors and spices on a daily basis
3. Create a rich experience surrounding meal time to instill a love of fresh, simple foods.
- If you tell your kids they will like a certain food (and believe it), chances are they will!
- Always include one green vegetable at lunch and dinner from a very early age
4. Make healthy foods more appealing to kids.
- Avoid canned vegetables
- Don’t overcook fresh veggies!
- Familiarity takes away the uncertainty – start a vegetable garden or keep potted herbs in the home
Don’t underestimate the taste and nutritional value of certain ingredients that are often seen as “adult only.”
| Eat This | Instead of This |
| Roasted garlic & edamame | Potato chips |
| Quinoa and black beans | Rice |
| Oven-roasted sweet potato fries | French fries |
| Glazed tofu | BBQ ribs |
| Fresh greens | Canned veggies |
| Maple sweetened kefir | Yogurt |
5. Get Your Kids Involved in Meal Preparation:
- Make mealtime an interactive experience for kids
- Involvement in preparing meals will help them understand and enjoy certain foods and ingredients
- Easy Tasks for Kids: peeling garlic, snapping asparagus, shelling beans, cracking eggs, tearing herbs, shucking corn, stirring sauces and dressings, peeling carrots and garlic (supervised around five years old).
mom-a-licious giveaway: book smart, kid smart
Expand your children’s palate from an early age.
- Create your own baby food instead of purchasing jarred foods
Develop your kids’ taste buds with unique flavors.
- Introduce new flavors and spices on a daily basis
Create a rich experience surrounding meal time to instill a love of fresh, simple foods.
- If you tell your kids they will like a certain food (and believe it), chances are they will!
- Always include one green vegetable at lunch and dinner from a very early age
Make healthy foods more appealing to kids.
- Avoid canned vegetables
- Don’t overcook fresh veggies!
- Familiarity takes away the uncertainty – start a vegetable garden or keep potted herbs in the home
Don’t underestimate the taste and nutritional value of certain ingredients that are often seen as “adult only.â€
| Eat This | Instead of This |
| Roasted garlic & edamame | Potato chips |
| Quinoa and black beans | Rice |
| Oven-roasted sweet potato fries | French fries |
| Glazed tofu | BBQ ribs |
| Fresh greens | Canned veggies |
| Maple sweetened kefir | Yogurt |
Get Your Kids Involved in Meal Preparation:
- Make mealtime an interactive experience for kids
- Involvement in preparing meals will help them understand and enjoy certain foods and ingredients
- Easy Tasks for Kids: peeling garlic, snapping asparagus, shelling beans, cracking eggs, tearing herbs, shucking corn, stirring sauces and dressings, peeling carrots and garlic (supervised around five years old).
5 Comments
WHen my kids help in the meal preparation they definitely tend to eat more and better.
My baby loves homemade baby food … and it’s so much cheaper!
When I make food for my 10 month old, I will cook the chicken or veggies with an apple or pear just to sweeten the taste (she loves it)!
I like to have the kids help me cook and then they are proud when it is on their plate and they can say then helped make it.
Bribery with a good after dinner treat works for our 5 year old but we have been unable to break the will of our 2 year old. I would love to check out your book for some ideas!