Daycare goes gourmet: Fancy food wins over picky little eaters at Guardian Childcare
Parents are stunned as their formerly fussy kids eagerly devour everything from fish masala to mushroom fettuccine at this childcare centre.
Curries, tofu, soups and fish are on the menu at a Melbourne childcare centre – and to parents’ shock, the kids are actually finishing their plates.
While children may refuse new foods at home, educators say they are willing to try just about anything when they’re with their peers.
Melbourne mum Prerna said her son Reyansh, who has multiple food allergies and a history of anaphylaxis, has grown more confident around food since starting at childcare.
“He gets paranoid around food,” she said.
“Trying new food, he’s always sceptical, but they do a good job building his confidence. He’s learnt that he needs to be aware of what he’s eating.”
Prerna said mealtimes at home were once stressful, with her son fearful of new textures and flavours. That changed after he began eating with other children.
“One day he came home and said he’d eaten apricot chicken – I’ve never made that before,” she said.
“I’ve observed he doesn’t sit with the same kids every day, and that gives him options. Watching others eat things like avocado, which used to be a big no for him, has helped him try it himself.”
Chef Wendy, who leads the kitchen at Guardian Childcare Essendon, said her goal is to make children comfortable trying unfamiliar foods, without pressuring them to like it straightaway.
“We believe that children from a young age need to develop healthy eating habits, try new foods, taste different textures,” she said.
The key, according to Wendy, is allowing kids to be part of the process, with mealtimes acting as a learning experience in itself.
“When I make something like stew I put vegetables on the side, the rice or couscous separate, so they have a choice of what they want to try first, they can mix foods together, they get to experience their own set of the same meal,” she said.
“Educators talk to them about different colours, flavours and textures.
“When they help prepare their meal in a small way, they get to get involved in the process … children build a curiosity instead of feeling pressure.”
Wendy cooks the meals fresh on site, with dishes including roasted chickpeas with herb-infused mushroom fettuccine, fish masala with turmeric rice, tofu and sweet corn soup, and wholemeal English muffins topped with whipped ricotta and avocado.
Educators try to avoid the “negativity” that children have to like something and instead celebrate them for giving it a try, Wendy said.
Other strategies include the kids getting hands-on with their food, helping to plant and pick herbs and tomatoes in the centre’s veggie garden, and practising for school by managing their own snackboxes, learning to handle food safely and be aware of allergies.
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Originally published as Daycare goes gourmet: Fancy food wins over picky little eaters at Guardian Childcare
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