Kikkoman kids’ cuisine
Parents have to be creative when it comes to making healthy foods appealing to kids. Modern generation kids are very fussy about what they eat and they consume far too much fast food, chocolate and unhealthy snacks. Sometimes we have to trick them into being curious about foods by letting them help us prepare them. After all, if they’ve helped to cook them they’re more likely to want to eat them. We’ve provided you with a few ideas on fun and exciting ways to whet children’s appetites for healthy foods.
Cooking together is fun
How many times have you heard a child say, “I don’t like that!“ before it’s even taken the first mouthful? Fruit and vegetables are two items on the menu that small children in particular are reluctant to eat. Yet it’s actually very simple to persuade kids to eat healthy foods. Cooking is a fun thing to do and it’s most fun when you do it together. It’s easy to get your kids excited about cooking because they love to do all the things they see adults doing. Here are a few simple tricks to make fruit and vegetables appeal to children.
Let them eat with their hands - kids love to do that. Why don’t you prepare a healthy pizza or burger together? Even the smallest children can join in if you give them a helping hand. They can knead the pizza dough, add the milk or flour and have a go at rolling it out. While you’re busy with the little ones, older siblings or friends can busy themselves cutting the vegetables or grating the cheese. To ensure that the pizza is as healthy as possible it’s best to use wholegrain flour and fresh vegetables or fruits such as banana or pineapple. The motto here is: home-made is best!
The same applies to burgers. Cutting fresh ingredients and letting the kids put them in the burger isn’t just fun, it also teaches them about different foods through play - and they can nibble on them as they cook!
Food that tastes good and looks good
Raw vegetables and fresh fruit are healthy. But they also have to look appealing or children won't eat them. Prepare a platter for your children by cutting the fruit and vegetables into pieces and arranging them into a smiling face. Little radish roses or delicious fruit kebabs and apple rings are also very popular with kids. Herbs and sauces are also important ingredients of kids’ meals. Or maybe you could create new names for everyday dishes? You could call a tasty vegetable stew with rice and Kikkoman soy sauce “Witch’s Cauldron“. Let your imagination run wild! And don’t forget to get the kids actively involved in the cooking process. They’re as proud as punch when they’re allowed to help their parents. Finally, if you let the kids present the food on the plates you’ll have a better idea of how they like it to look.
Kids cooking course - home version
Children love cooking and it’s a fun way for them to learn about the components of a balanced meal. That’s why there are so many cooking courses for kids these days. Yet it isn't essential to attend a cooking course to learn about healthy foods. You can also achieve the same result in the home. Cooking together, the use of child-safe seasoning and food presentation are three simple tricks that will help you to win over children’s hearts, minds and stomachs.