Tired of picky eaters and crispy faces at a table? It doesn’t need to be like that; sometimes small things can do miracles!

Here are a few tips & tricks that worked for me and my daughter:

Adapt your kitchen

Make sure your kitchen is kids-friendly. But this is not only about safety. This is also about how appealing your kitchen is for your kids. Make it safe, of course, but make it also colorful. Buy some colorful bowls, plates or mugs and welcome your kids to the cooking adventure.

Invite your kids

to help you prepare the meals or dress up a table. Let them do small things they are able to do or make them together with your kids. Let them wear an apron; they will feel like real chefs :) I've made Christmas aprons for the whole family, so we could spend some family time cooking together. My daughter loved the idea and she helped a lot in the kitchen, having fun at the same time.

Make it a game

Ask your kids to imagine a meal: their preferred toy, a hero or any object. Brainstorm with them about the ingredients to use for creating this meal (what fruits, veggies, etc.). This is a great exercise for kids to discover veggies and fruits, their colors and textures and also to develop their imagination. Tell them about healthy food and what benefits it brings to their little bodies.

Let them play with food

Put few ingredients in front of your kids and let them ‘create’ their own meal. This works extremely well for snacks, sandwiches or desserts. You will be surprised what they are capable of! Encourage their creativity and let them eat what they have made.

Make it different

Surprise them with new textures or even the meal temperature. If you always serve hot veggies, try to serve them cold or even frozen. I did that with mango, my daughter was not a huge fun of it, so I did some frozen treats with mango mousse, she loved it!

Present it nicely

On many occasions you don’t need to cook separate meals for your kids, make one meal for the whole family, and then just present it differently for your kids. Sometimes it is all about packaging :) This simple meal below is just fish, spinach and polenta. Adding two flowers to it and presenting it as a sheep in a meadow made it a great hit!

Have fun together when planning a meal, preparing it and eating with a big smile at a table! Make your kids food fun and healthy! Remember that sometimes they need to eat with their eyes first! If you need inspiration, check out our recipes: main dish, snack, sandwich, dessert. I am sure you will find something your kids would love to try:)

How to feed picky eaters - Mom's tips and tricks