G et C o o k i n g - I S S U E 07
Making food fun
Danielle McCann, founder of Not Just Nibbles, explains why getting your kids excited about food is the best way to encourage them to eat more vegetables.
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rom birth, our natural instinct is to like sweet foods. This dates back to thousands of years. Sweeter foods tell our brain it is safe to eat, whereas bitter foods warn us it could be poisonous – think of it as our survival mechanism. *Most* vegetables are bitter in comparison to what children are used to at that age. So as we get older, eating vegetables is very much a learned behaviour, just like riding a bike. Luckily, involving kids in the kitchen is one way in which we can help to accelerate this behaviour. At Not Just Nibbles, we include children in every step of the cooking process. Whether that’s taste-testing to identify key flavours, learning culinary terms to build their vocabulary or teaching them how to peel and grate a carrot like Gordon Ramsay.
healthier snacks [see pages 96-97] with the kids and present them on a sharing platter, for the extra theatre. Dim the lights and watch your favourite family movie with your homemade snacks.
THEY OWN A RESTAURANT
Set the kids a task to design their own menu. Start with something small like a sandwich then work your way up to pizzas or tacos. The caveat: each sandwich must include a salad/ vegetable item.
HOW TO START
The secret to our success: we make food fun Our themed cooking kits transport kids around the world where they can learn how to make two dishes from the country of that month. But the secret to our success: we make food fun. Now, of course, you don’t have to buy our boxes to get your kids to eat vegetables (although it wouldn’t hurt to try). Instead, you can apply your own themes in the kitchen. Here are some which have been tried and tested by us:
MOVIE NIGHT
Movie nights – whether they’re at home or in the cinema – are a hit with the family. Try making some of our www.FamilyFirst.co.uk
1. Fillings: Ask them to come up with five sandwich fillings with ingredients already at home. 2. Design a menu: They decide on a name, logo and write the sandwich options on their menu. 3. Play: You decide on a sandwich from their menu and let them take your order. 4. Make: Obviously, supervise in the kitchen, but let them get creative with it. 5. Serve: Eat and enjoy. Don’t forget to pay your bill!.
AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATIONS
We love celebrating Halloween, Christmas and Easter, but why not use other countries as inspiration to teach them about different cultures:
Diwali (India) - Known as the festival of light, this vibrant culture has lots of delicious dishes to offer. Try making a no yeast naan and eat it like a wrap with salad. It’s surprisingly easy and extremely fun for the kids to try. Day of The Dead (Mexico) A day of celebration rather than of mourning, this colourful festival is a great way to introduce your child to some Mexican culture/food. Tacos all round! Buñol (Spain) - AKA: Tomato fight. We’re not condoning that, but there’s lots you can do with tomatoes (which don’t involve throwing them at one another). Spanish omelette filled with tomato and basil for one. Not Just Nibbles (www. notjustnibbles.com) creates healthy cooking kits for kids with characters that teach children about the health benefits of food in a language they understand.
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