Making Healthy Food Fun and Appealing for Children By: Raizy Fried
“You eat with your eyes first”
HOME & FOOD CENTER
A well-known adage among chefs is, “You eat with your eyes first.” What this adage alludes to is the fact that foods that look unappetizing often are not eaten. And vice versa when food looks pretty, it automatically lends to a tastier experience… Although presenting healthy food in an appealing manner is important for both children and adults, somehow, we tend to take this topic more seriously when talking about children. I’m not sure why… Think about it. Imagine the title to this article would read “Making Healthy Food Fun & Appealing for Adults”. For some reason that doesn’t ring well… Maybe because as adults it should be a given? Maybe because as adults we are expected to know better… We should want and crave healthy food no matter what shape it’s served as…
To be perfectly honest, teaching kids to eat healthy food is probably as difficult as teaching adults to avoid unhealthy foods. And between me and you, when fresh veggies are presented beautifully, cut with precision and arranged in a bowl with a sprinkle of spice, it gets me excited… When it looks pretty, I’ll eat it all. (see photo of breakfast bowl) When it’s in the refrigerator, it’s often time not enticing enough. Both children and adults entertain the common misconception that healthy eating is blah and boring. While this might be the case if you choose to eat the same food in the same way every single day, there are alternative ways to get your natural vitamins without becoming bored. Here are some ideas of how to get children (or adults) excited about healthy food choices without bribes:
