Eating with Your Eyes
Have you noticed the rack upon rack of food magazines at the bookstore filled with outrageously cute and time-consuming confections? They are a thrill to look at. Even I get excited by the cleverness of using stick gum as ears on a bunny cupcake. But I simply think all the effort is a waste of time when my kids will more than gladly eat anything with a blob of frosting on top of it.
I try to expend what energy I have to make healthy food visually appealing. Making a healthy snack more exciting can sometimes get your child to the table and even get them to try a bite of something they would normally refuse. Here are the tools I have up my sleeve:
- Colors. Sprinkle brightly colored fruit over yogurt to make it pretty and tasty.
- Toppings. Look for opportunities to add a dollop of whipped cream or some rainbow sprinkles. (I’ve heard of people putting sprinkles on their kid’s dinner and thereby magically turning it into a yummy food. But I’m just not willing to go that far at the moment.)
- Faces. Make a face with small bits of food on top of a bagel and such. Better yet, give your kids all the ingredients and have them make the face.
- Sauce it up. Pour on sauce or ketchup in the shape of a heart. Polka dots are fun too.
- Serving plate and utensils. A fun little bowl or fork can make all the difference.
You get the idea. I’m sure there are a million more out there. Bon appetit!
More Resources:
- Take a look at the genius that is Cute Yummy Time.
