Food should be fun and there is no better way to put this into action than building with food. Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting complicated food art that looks like a professional has spent hours building. I’m talking about simple structures that children can build themselves or with very little help from a parent.

Kids should play with their food.

 Did you know that when a child manipulates foods through things like cooking or messy play, they are actually becoming “literate” with that food. As they manipulate the food with tools or their fingers, they are seeing how the food behaves. What it does. How it smells. What it does when it is squeezed a bit. Maybe even how it tastes if a little juice spurts out and lands on a lip or finger.  

Are you excited to learn more? Well, let's get started then...

How to build a food structure:

*Decide on food materials {brainstorm with your child}

* Brainstorm a theme for the building {shapes, letters, numbers, free- form}

*Gather tools {toothpicks, blunt knives}

*Demonstrate for your child

While you’re building, talk about what you’re doing to help your child learn about the food and how to build a structure. "Oh the pretzel is hard but the cheese cube is soft so I can stab it with the pretzel. Yum, the melon sure smells sweet. I'm going to try building with the cheese cubes!" 

Take it even further for more FUN: 

*Take pictures of everyone’s structures for a food book

*Have a presentation time where each participant describes their structure

*Have the child teach another how to make their structure

*Talk about other foods that might work for the same structure-try to talk about the properties of the food and why it would be a good choice 

An important thing to keep in mind is to adjust the activity for the age of the child and their level of comfort around certain foods. Remember to allow the child to explore within their own comfort zone. Do not force or pressure them to do certain things with the foods. If they choose to simply sit and watch, allow them to as much can be learned by simply watching others do the activity. 

Get THREE more tips here for how to help your picky eater at the table without pressuring them.

What foods and structures will you choose to try with your children? Need more ideas? Check out our Pinterest board of Fun Food or check out our blog sidebar for our favorite picky eating resources. 

Until next time, keep growing and blooming. 

Jen

We all do it yet we may not even realize that we do it. We comment on others' behavior around food-positive or negative. . We don't realize that even when we think we're being positive, it's actually being received as negative. Did I blow your mind with that one? It's true. Studies shown that whether we praise good eating or nag poor eating, it's ALL taken negatively. 

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...I EVEN DO IT once in a while and I'm the person helping others to NOT do it. It's a hard, hard habit to break because we've experienced it, likely, our entire lives. We think nothing of commenting on another's food choices {or lack thereof} but we wouldn't dream of commenting, so easily, on clothing choices or behavior.  We also have read different schools of thought on the subject and one minute we're told to do this and another that. I promise you that, when it comes to picky eaters we really need to zip our lips.

Why do we need to zip our lips at mealtimes? 

• Whatever we say can be taken as the opposite {"eat this"puts up a stop sign for that food; "don't eat this" gives the green light to that food}
• Whatever we say can be taken as pressure to eat/not eat
• Whatever we say can reinforce picky eating
• Whatever we say can make the mealtime focus on the food 

Eye opening, right? 
Feeling like you don't know what you CAN say at the table? 
Never fear as I have another post scheduled for next week {part two of today's post}, to help you with that. Until then, focus on becoming AWARE of the positive and negative pressure you may be putting on your kiddos. 

STOP the pressure and find peace at the table with these video tips!

Until next time, keep growing and blooming!

Jen

Today, I was honored to do a guest blog post for one of our February BlogTalk Radio Sponsors, Plural Publishing.  I chose to write about one of my favorite subjects, the brain and executive functions. 

How often have you touched your forehead and told yourself to “pay attention” or “think, think, think?”

Also known as the cerebral cortex, the frontal lobe consists of a right and left lobe, located directly behind the forehead, that have the ability to solve problems by allowing us to think flexibly and express language....


Head over to Plural Publishing Blog to read the rest of the article. 

Jen

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what better time to experiment with food while also learning valuable thinking skills by making edible Valentines?! The bonus is that this activity also serves as a wonderful way to bring some peace back to the table for families that are dealing with picky eaters. No pressure, just a fun activity that has some food in the vicinity or for craft purposes {much can be learned about food by using it in other ways!}.

Planning your Valentine Activity

• Have regular Valentine cards to fill out or make just in case anyone isn't comfortable with the edible Valentine activity. This will allow the child to still participate without feeling "left out" or pressured to do something with food that they're not comfortable with
• Pick an easy to assemble Valentine food craft. It could be as simple as making strawberry milk or as elaborate as decorating a heart shaped cookie or making a heart shaped sandwich. Check here , here and here for some fantastic ideas for easy Valentine food crafts
• Serve a few of your picky eater's safe snack foods for them to munch on as they are working-the edible Valentine supplies will serve as a "new" food for them to get comfortable with

 Fun Valentine Food Tools:

For more back to the table activities, check out this post from December.   Be sure to share your edible Valentine ideas or pictures in the comments here on the blog.  I can't wait to see what fun you have and the creations you make. 

Until next time, keep growing and blooming!

Jen

If you're looking for ideas on how to expand your picky/selective eater's core food list, February is a great time to do it!  February is National Snack Food Month and what better time to indulge in some Food Literacy for the Picky Eater{tm} activities than during a month focused on snack foods?! Now, before you get all worried that I'm promoting snacking over meals and junk over real food, just hang on. 

Top Reasons Snack Time and Snack Foods are AWESOME!

• Snacks are served in smaller portions typically so kiddos aren't overwhelmed
• Snack time is, generally, more relaxed than meal time 
• Snack foods are FUN!
• Many picky eaters LOVE snack food because they are usually simple and deemed "safe"
• Snack foods can pretty much be anything!
• The very word SNACK doesn't cause anxiety for picky eaters like saying "dinner, lunch or mealtime"

Make it your mission this month to explore new snack foods. Try to find new foods, to serve for snacks, that are similar in taste, texture and appearance to your child's core/safe foods. Continue to serve their tried and trues but serve a new choice along side with NO pressure to try or take a bite of the new food.  

Try This Food Literacy for the Picky Eater{tm} Activity
 
Tell your child that February is National Snack Food Month. Talk about what a snack is and how it differs from a meal. Look up the word origin for snack-find out why it's even called a snack. Invite your child to come to the store with you to pick out a new snack, keeping in mind that they may not eat what they choose. That is ok. Your child may decide that they don't want to choose a food and that is ok too. Do not tell your child that they "have to" pick a new food. If they say they don't want to then pick a new snack food for yourself and make it a point of using "self talk" while you do. "Hmm, this looks good. I'm going to try this flavor of granola this week. I already like this kind of granola but haven't tried this flavor." Remember that the goal of the activity is, ultimately, to have your child explore new foods in a safe way with NO PRESSURE. For some picky eaters, it may just be that they went to the store with you, learned what a snack is and saw you choose a new snack food. For others, it may be that they chose a new flavor of cracker. 

I can't wait to hear how it goes. If you're wanting instant access to even more Food Literacy Activities for the Picky Eater{tm} check out our Webinar. 


Until next time, keep growing and blooming. 


Jen