There’s more to food than taste

Another way to engage your child’s interest and appetite is to have fun with food and the 5 senses. Here are some ideas.

fun food
fun food
fun food

Eat colors for fun

Make a game out of eating foods with different colors. You go first and call out the colors you eat. Then let your child lead the game. Once you've decided on a color, try naming the food for added entertainment. Find details and other fun food games for kids to play during mealtime.

Transition through texture

Transitioning your toddler to table food?

  • Offer them foods like small chunks of fruit, vegetables, and meat
  • Add crispy foods like crackers and wafers
  • Experiment with different tastes, textures, and smells

Proteins take shape

Want your child to eat more grains and proteins?

  • Mix fun whole grain pasta shapes with his favorite veggies and a bit of cheese.
  • Mix small chunks of oat granola or fruit into yogurt.

Cookie cutter shapes

Use cookie cutters to make cucumber stars or apple suns.

Foods can go crunch

Foods that are crunchy can be fun. Try some of these:

  • Granola, unsalted nuts (not if your child’s allergic), popcorn
  • Roasted chick peas, trail mix
  • Sliced carrots, cucumbers, or peppers
  • Pretzel sticks or celery and peanut butter

Make a name

If the name of a food sounds cool, kids might be more likely to eat it. Don't be afraid to come up with your own names.

Make sense of it

Have your child try to guess a new food through smell and touch while blindfolded.

  • Let them guess again by taste (while still blindfolded)
  • Make a points system for how many they get right
  • Let them use other senses