Catherine McCord, founder of weelicious.com, dishes on making 2012 the year to get kiddos in the kitchen, boost school-lunch nutrition, and place children on the path to long-term wholesome (and delicious!) eating.
Delicious Living: How do you get picky eaters to try new foods?
Catherine McCord: Be creative. Change the way a vegetable looks on a plate by cutting it into a fun shape or adding a dipping sauce. Tell a story to your little one about the foods you are preparing to encourage interest.
DL: What is the value of having kids help in the kitchen?
CM: Small children have very little control in their lives: parents tell them what to wear, when to go to school, and what to do afterward. Food is the one thing children can control, so including kids in cooking, shopping, or planting fruits and veggies can be very empowering.
DL: How can time-pressed parents assemble balanced and tasty school lunches?
CM: Incorporate a fruit, vegetable, protein, and complex carbohydrate. Then focus on visual appeal because kids eat with their eyes as well as their mouths. Purée roasted beets into hummus to make it pink or use a melon baller to create a fun shape out of vegetables. Choose a nontoxic lunch box with separate containers, like Laptop Lunches Bento Box set or PlanetBox.
