Creativity with Local Food can Spark Your Child’s Appetite

“I can’t” said the ant was a book that I loved as a child, so to celebrate the upcoming birth of our baby, my sister bought me a vintage copy as a present. “I can’t” said the ant was written by Polly Cameron, and was first published by Scholastic Books in 1961. Although it’s no longer in print, it’s a timeless children’s story about a group of caring and encouraging kitchen-based characters working together to save their broken teapot friend. It’s not only a great lesson in how teamwork and perseverance prevail, but it’s a wonderful way to teach your child about food and rhyming. Here’s an excerpt:
"What's all the clatter?" said the platter. "Teapot fell," said the dinner bell. "Pick her up," said the cup. "I can't," said the ant. "Please try," said the pie. "You must," said the crust. The rhymes will stick with you – my parents still say ““what a relief,” said the beef” after a stressful moment has ended.

Another creative food idea was presented in an article I read today on www.LiveScience.com about kids preferring vegetables with “cool names”. In a new study, 186 four-year-olds were given regular carrots and, on other lunch days, they were given the same vegetables renamed X-ray Vision Carrots. On the days they were served X-ray Vision Carrots, the kids ate nearly twice as many carrots, and perhaps more importantly, the higher rate of carrot consumption continued even after they were no longer labeled with a creative name.

Researcher Collin Payne states, "Whatever sparks their imagination seems to spark their appetite." Here’s the link to the article:
http://www.livescience.com/health/090302-kids-veggies.html

One more creative way to teach your children to make a connection with their food is through gardening. Two things children love is to play in the dirt and to be active. Letting them plant, care for and harvest their own little garden accomplishes both. The underlying benefit to parents is that they are learning. Children will experience a sense of pride and enjoyment when growing and cultivating their own fruits, vegetables and flowers. They also tend to be more willing to taste produce they grew on their own, leading to healthy eating and less risk of obesity. Here’s a great organization that even provide a free “Parent’s Primer” with guidance on how to make the most of your family garden: http://www.kidsgardening.org/family.asp. There are 10 chapters with topics such as how to start on paper, get ideas, choose what to plant, and building a small garden.

So instead of hiding your child’s vegetables in purees and under batter, try some activities like gardening, creative naming and rhyming with fruits and vegetables. Who says you can’t have fun with your food? Your children will be more likely to enjoy their food now and to develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.