Stories of Extreme Picky Eating by Jennifer Friedman

Author:Jennifer Friedman [Friedman, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Page Street Publishing
Published: 2020-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

Activity: Food for Fun

If we can get kids touching their food, they’ll be more likely to eat. Touching leads to learning how food feels, smells and behaves. This information makes kids feel safer tasting because they know what to expect. The only trouble is that skeptical eaters don’t readily touch new foods! That’s where food play comes in.

Playing with food is actually good for kids, and beyond that, it’s a fun, low-pressure way for them to learn about and become more comfortable with new foods.

I know this sounds like a lot of work and mess. It can be both. But it’s also one of the best things that you can do to encourage a fussy eater to expand their diet. Children who have positive hands-on experiences playing with food are more likely to try new food and eat a more varied diet. Plus, studies show that kids who play with their food have a greater vocabulary to talk about food.

Try to retrain your thinking. Mess is good. It’s a sign your child is exploring and learning to become more comfortable with food. I assure you it’s also usually not as bad as you think it will be. If you’re concerned about cleanup, set them up over newspaper or a tarp. I like to line the play area in silicone place mats that are inexpensive, indestructible and easy to clean. I also recommend designating a smock or shirt for food play, especially if you’re playing with purees or stainable foods, so you don’t have to worry about ruined clothing.

Try these ideas to add food play outside of mealtimes:

Edible Collage: Grab a plate, a place mat or an area of a clean table. Using foods from a meal or a collection of new and familiar foods, create faces, animals, people, cars, flowers, houses or whatever scene your child wants. Incorporate dips or props and get creative with your materials. Olives and beans make great eyes. Broccoli is a natural tree. Cheese or shredded chicken can become hair. You can even use a piece of food as your canvas. A halved baked potato or slice of bread with a spread works well.

Tic-Tac-Toe: Create a tic-tac-toe board using string beans or asparagus. You might need to line up a few to make it large enough, or you can make an extra big board for a more challenging game. Strips of bread and cheese also work well. Use a novel food as your game piece and get playing. It’s okay to eat some of your pieces.

Munchable Masterpieces: Create structures using a variety of foods. Use sturdy foods like carrot sticks, chicken nuggets and crackers. String soft pierceable foods (pasta, banana slices, berries, meatballs, etc.) along a sturdy stick-shaped food like a raw vegetable or pretzel to make patterns or use the soft foods as corners to hold the pieces together. Anything works! Kids love the idea of using food to build, and it’s always exciting to see how tall your tower can climb.

You can think

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