Do you have a picky eater who seems to turn his nose up at any new food before he even tries it? Or a little princess who turns into a monster when it comes to eating her vegetables? Maybe it’s time to try some visually creative ways to introduce new foods.
We all love it when we go to a restaurant and a visually appealing meal comes out of the kitchen. We immediately take a picture and share it with our friends. In the same way, it’s fun for children to have their foods displayed in creative ways.
Children like games and adventure, so one of the moms on our OrganWise Guys Mom’s Council uses a fun visual “game” when she is introducing new foods to her young sons. Instead of a plate she gets a large cutting board and arranges the food in a landscape scene. So avocados may become a “meadow” or broccoli is piled into a “mountain” while carrots become the “road,” cherry tomatoes become the “cars,” etc. After the landscape is set, he eats his way through the scene. 
Children have such great imaginations and this is one fun way to introduce new foods. If you feel like you’re not as artistic, here are a few other things you can try:
- Search for some fun plates online that have creative shapes or designs.
- Use paper plates and write a secret message underneath the food – they have to eat each item on their plate to “uncover” the message.
- Make it a picnic at home by clearing a space, spreading out a blanket and serving dinner on your floor. Sit cross-legged and eat with no utensils (this obviously won’t work for every type of food!).
Adding a little creativity to family meal time might be just what it takes to get your child to try a new food. If you have any fun ideas, we’d love to hear about them!
