Play with your Food!

Kids are often told to stop playing with their food! Well I say...play away. Food is not just about taste...it is also about texture, temperature, smell and colour.  Babies love to experience their world with their mouths and this is a prime time to offer them a wide variety of foods to expand their palette and keep them healthy as they grow. 

It's also important to keep food fun for older children.  Keep exploring new textures, tastes and colours.

It can get tricky to please little people with food, especially when trying something new. Here are a few ideas to inspire you to keep having a go!

• Get your children to help by;
  • choosing recipes,
  • picking fruit and vegetables
  • growing some herbs
  • chopping (when they're ready...and you are too!)
  • mixing with their hands
• Invite friends over and make platters of food to share.
  • Allow the kids to choose the foods themselves.
  • If you keep all the options colourful (with fruit and vegetables, not with food colourings!) and fresh, then you don't have to be as concerned about what they're eating.
• Take dinner outside!
  • This also helps with the cleaning up!!

Lastly...don't be afraid to get your own hands dirty too!