Keep meals bright and exciting to get kids eating their vegies

BABIES and toddlers can learn to eat good healthy food and even be adventurous eaters if they’re given colourful, basic meals cooked at home, a new book says.

BABIES and toddlers can learn to eat good healthy food and even be adventurous eaters if they’re given colourful, basic meals cooked at home, a new book says.

Torquay mother of two Amie Harper, 35, has written The Colours of the Rainbow to help parents feed young children well.

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“You can offer a colourful variety of whole foods to keep them interested,” she said.

“Getting kids to help choose the fruit and vegetables and prepare the meals can help.

Teddy, Ariana, Pip and Kit tuck into colourful healthy food. Picture: Nathan Dyer

“It’s also good to have a range of different textures, which stimulate their tactile learning and muscle development,” Ms Harper added.

“Regularly change the way you cook vegetables, such as grating beetroot, or roasting it to go with roast potatoes.

“It’s all about basic good food which makes you feel good and is visually appealing”.

It’s the second cookbook written by Ms Harper, a food scientist and nutritionist. And her big tip is to keep mealtimes simple.

“It’s hard enough being a parent without following complicated recipes,” she said.

Tips for Healthy Kids. Source: ‘The Colours of the Rainbow’ by Amie Harper

Ms Harper — mum to Pip, nearly four, and Jimmy, 15 months, — said the whole family should eat the same meals, such as slow-cooked pork with peas and mashed potato, pink salmon pasta, mushy pea risotto and homemade sweet potato gnocchi.

Children with allergies should also be offered a range of interesting flavoured and textured food,

UK authors Fiona Heggie and Ellie Lux agree. Their new book, The Allergy-Free Baby and Toddler Cookbook, contains special tips and meals for kids with allergies.

Torquay mother and author Amie Harper shares some colourful healthy food with son Jimmy. Picture: Nathan Dyer

“The more flavours, tastes and textures they’re exposed to in the early days, the more likely they are to try new things in the future,” they said.

“If your baby rejects a meal and you’ve made a big batch, pop the rest in the freezer and try again another time.”

Ms Heggie and Ms Lux said it was OK to let a child leave the table without finishing a healthy meal. “What they don’t eat at one meal they will probably make up for it at the next.”

They also suggest parents are not distracted by phones or reading while at the dinner table.

“Watching you and older children eating together and eating the same food is the perfect way to encourage your baby to enjoy meals and be prepared to try some new things,” they said.

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