Kid Tip: Tap your Kid's Inner Explorer

Today's Tip Sponsored by Melanie Potock &:

Want to know how kids learn about food?  They use all their senses. 

An outstanding researcher, Dr. A. Jean Ayres, introduced the theory of Sensory Integration over 40 years ago, explaining how a multitude of sensory input flows into the brain to be sorted and organized for learning.  She said “Sensory integration puts it all together.  Imagine peeling and eating an orange.  You sense the orange through your eyes, nose, mouth, the skin on your hands and fingers, and also the muscles and joints inside your fingers, hands, arms, and mouth…All the sensations from the orange and all the sensations from your hand and fingers somehow come together in one place in your brain” which allows you to make decisions on how to peel and eat the orange. 

So, here’s a tip: Get your kids involved in preparing the food for mealtimes.  Garden.  Get messy – make a yogurt finger painting.  Experience food via all of your senses.  It leads to trying new tastes and healthier eating.  Enjoy!

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Kid Tip: Blanched over Raw Veggies Work Better

Today's Tip Sponsored by Melanie Potock &:

As a feeding therapist, I know parents want their kids to eat their veggies.  Here’s a tip: Try blanching vegetables, then pat them dry and bring to room temperature or chill slightly.  The extra moisture in a carrot stick from blanching will be easier for your young child to chew and swallow, but the veggie still has a lovely crunch and is easy to pick up and dip!  Works great for any veggie…be sure to cut into bite size portions for those kids under the age of three.

Here is how to blanch vegetables, using asparagus, plus a recipe.  The blanching process is similar for any type of vegetable, depending upon the thickness and courseness of the vegetable.

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Kid Tip: Kids Like Memories more than Veggies

Today's Tip Sponsored By Melanie Potock &:

Ahhh! The holidays!  Time for Grandma’s famous Green Bean Casserole.  Maybe THIS year your sweet child will take a bite of it and make Grandma so happy!  Don’t count on it.  Studies show that kids need to be exposed to new foods over and over just to be willing to try it again.  Unlike Mikey from the famous Life Cereal commercial, it can take many kids numerous “try its” before they actually “like it.”  How often do we really have Green Bean Casserole over the course of a year? 

Try this instead: Encourage Grandma and your child to make the casserole together.  It’s about the memories of creating a beautiful Thanksgiving together, not the bite of green beans.  Who really remembers their first bite of a casserole?  But, your child will remember many happy moments preparing dinner with Grandma.  It’s about our time together. 

If you have a food allergic child, and step in and help get ingredients that are safe for him/her, it's both a teaching and a bonding moment for all.

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How to Help Your Food Allergic Child Belong Over the Holidays