Feeding children isn’t easy; just look at the number of bunny, fishy, gummy, gooey, processed, packaged and prepared kids foods available and you’ll get a sense of just how difficult it can be. Children are opinionated from the get go, and food is one of the first places they learn to express their views – and test your limits. But a child’s intellectual capacity is far from fully developed; therefore, allowing a child to decide what to eat, when to eat, and how just isn’t feasible. So, how does a mother of two boys create meals on a daily basis that keep them excited about what’s for dinner? I asked Kathrin to let us know what she does, because her boys rarely leave anything on the plate. Here’s what she said are her top 10 ways to keep it exciting around the dinner table. Hope all, some or at least one will inspire you. Come and cook with us!
- Keep it simple and serve real food.
- Change it up so kids keep an open mind on all the things that are out there to eat.
- Eat with them and eat what they eat.
- Avoid the snack & juice trap: our best eaters are hungry eaters.
- Involve the kids in cooking or, if that is not an option, let them serve themselves: they will cherish the independence and it can help them learn how to fill a nutritionally optimal plate.
- Reward them, just not every night. If a piece of fruit does not sound good for dessert, they might just not be that hungry anymore.
- Try to stay away from refined and processed foods as well as foods made with white flour or large amounts of different types of sugar.
- Don’t expect your kids to like everything all the time – look for balance in what children eat over longer periods of time.
- Keep some routine – taco Tuesdays or pizza Fridays.
- Sign up to get a CSA box. It makes cooking for variety easier and you can access pretty much any recipe you like on the internet.
It isn’t always easy but it is worth the effort trying to establish healthy eating habits that will be with your children for the rest of their lives. Come and cook with us!
Come and Cook with Us 
Hi Jessica,
I really enjoy this blog that you and your friend Kathrin have going, and I often recommend it as a resource to the community where I teach to help them think about healthy recipes and especially when looking for delicious and simple ways to prepare many of the more unusual bounty of our local New England farms.
I just wanted to add that when thinking about the healthy eating habits of very young children (under 3) I always advise that it is very important to keep 2 things in mind:
1. First to add to what Kathrin said in #8: Think about weekly nutritional values rather then the content within a day or meal. Often times children under three will only eat particular foods for a whole day but if you keep track of the food consumed over the course of a week you get a much better picture of what the child’s real food palate and what its nutritional content is. This is a place many parents become worried and can easily fall back on a very limited offerings, but I strongly advise the parents I work with to stay strong and not get scared. Developmentally 3 year olds self limit their food so getting them eating a broad range before then is very helpful for later eating habits. Many pediatricians focus too heavily on growth charts without taking into each child’s genetic background – And understandably this can stress new parents out! BUT if both parents are under 5’6″ it seems unreasonable that a child would be at the top of the growth charts. Also, like adults children have different rates of metabolism – mine own child often eats the same size portion as her Dad or I and although she has grown 6″ in the last 18 months she hasn’t gained a pound in 2 years.
2. When children begin eating solid foods its important to feed them what I call a sensory diet. Make sure you are always offering a variety of foods prepared differently to offer a range of tastes, sounds, temperature, and oral motor work. Do they not eat carrots steamed? Try raw carrots with dip (yogurt, hummus, mustard) or carrot pancakes. When children seem to eat very small amounts add flavoring! Gerkins are not chock full of vitamins BUT they offer the mouth, lips, and tongue a work out of taste (salty, bitter sweet), sound (crunch), and touch (small bits on the tongue) as well as help develop fine motor coordination. Do they prefer the feeling of apple sauce or yogurt in their mouths or do they like their food dry? Get a dehydrator and make kale, and banana chips or offer frozen berries or frozen green beans. In my 20 years of experience teaching this age more often then not children who are “picky” eaters are not having their sensory needs met by their food rather then not liking the variety.
My 2 cents for what its worth!
Be well,
Kim
Hi I am very glad to read Ur blog. I am quiet relieved that I am not the alone mother worried about my son’s diet. My son is two yrs old and very naughty making him eat is the workout of my day . If tips r great I will definitely follow them. Bye & take care