Tricks to make boring food exciting for children

If your little ones are fussing over healthy eating, try emphasising on the colour of foods, and involve them in food selection and preparation to catch their interest, says an expert.

Saumya Shree, a food specialist at BiteClub.in, a Gurgaon-based chef-designed virtual restaurant which facilitates its native presence through Android, iOS and web appliactions, has shared tips on how to make healthy food more interesting for children:

* Emphasise on colour: Children love all things bright and colourful, even when it is food. Not only are they more appealing to the children, but they are also better for them. The naturally colourful fruits and vegetables can help your child's body get the wide variety of nutrients that he or she needs to grow strong and healthy.

* Present food in shapes: To feed the picky eaters, there is no way better than presenting fancy shaped foods to them. Using mini cookie cutters and cutting their vegetables, fruit and even cheese into stars and other shapes can really enliven their plate and boost their appetite.

* Use fun names: Giving fun names to any food can make it easy to attract the children and build their interest in it. It can instantly change the attitude about a new food for children. You can start calling cauliflower or broccoli as baby trees or peas as green marbles.

* Serve it differently: Presentation can make a huge difference in eating habits and doesn't take much extra time. For instance, instead of slicing the fruits, make fruit kebabs with a chocolate dip or simply make fruit balls and stuff it inside the rind of empty hard shells of fruits like watermelons with cheese cubes.

* Involve them in food selection and preparation: Grown-ups avoid taking their young ones for grocery shopping and involving them in the food preparation process at times, but they are both important ways to teach them about making good food choices. They give the children an opportunity to see the process of preparing food in a healthier way and spend time with the grownups that definitely makes things fun.