Eating is essential for life, so we do it everyday! Doing something everyday, a few times a day, can become routine and a bit boring. Making meals and snacks that everyone in your household likes can often be a challenge. Sometimes we need something new and exciting to attract our attention and turn on our appetites!
Engage kids and other family members in helping to make these colorful and creatively named recipes.
Let the fun begin!
There are many ways to add fun and creativity to mealtimes. Watch and enjoy how your family responds to some of your new techniques!
Creative Names - Have you noticed that reading the names of menu items at restaurants can often make your mouth water or trigger hunger pangs? Why is that? It’s because catchy names make food more appealing. Restaurants are known for using creative names and descriptive words to promote food items/entrees and to entice us to make selections. Certain words can stir up emotions and feelings. “Grandma’s Homestyle Chicken” and “Piping Hot Mashed Potatoes” might make you think back to a special family dinner. A “Strong SuperHero Snack” may be appealing to kids who want to be like their favorite characters. You can come up with creative names for meals and snacks too. Think about naming food around characters or animals that kids like: Monkey Fuel (Bananas), Asparagus-Rex (Asparagus), Dinosaur Trees (broccoli spears). Older kids and adults may be more inspired by words that describe how they will experience the food or how it will taste. Think about words like: Simmering, Melted, Savory, Crunchy, Spicy. You can also use rhyming words or words that start with the same letter to name food: (Mighty Mean Beans, Gators Tators, Awesome Apples, Outstanding Oranges). Tell the kids you are throwing a party, and start with Confetti Spaghetti, an appropriately named fun and colorful dish. Let your imagination guide you and have fun!
Use a variety of color - What a difference color can make! Bright and contrasting colors can be very attractive and eye-catching. If you are serving apples, you may want to try slicing both red and green apples and arranging them together on a plate. Blueberries (blue) and strawberries (red) placed on top of plain yogurt add a vibrant pop of color. The popular and colorful trio of peas (green), carrots (orange) and corn (yellow) is a great combination. Simple arrangements using color can get kids excited about trying nutritious foods and foods that may be new to them. This colorful Rock'n Radish Salad is a great example of how to use a variety of colors.
Use contrasting colors to make food pop! - Try placing colorful food like cucumbers, apples, carrots or green/red peppers on plates or bowls with contrasting colors. Bright orange carrots will pop on a black, white or green background. Deep green cucumbers will stand out on an orange, yellow or white surface. These simple “tricks” can bring flare and excitement to snack time.
Make Shapes - Sometimes we get into the habit of preparing foods one way. Most people slice cucumbers into “coins,” cut carrots into sticks and serve apples and oranges whole. You may want to try something new and different to add interest. Cucumbers can be cut lengthwise down the middles and then into spears. Raw carrots can be sliced into chunky “Crunchy Coins”, apple slices can become “Awesome Apple Crunchers” and oranges can become “Wacky Wedges” when sliced or made into wedges for easy-to-eat portion sizes.
Spice it up - Sometimes adding a little extra flavor will do the trick! Sprinkle cinnamon on apples for a quick snack. Or, get fancy by using cinnamon in Homemade Applesauce. Add some excitement by sprinkling a dash of cumin on black beans or pinto beans. Drizzle a bit of apple cider vinegar on roasted potatoes or green beans. Or, try a squeeze of lemon over a bed of greens or in this delicious Lemon and Herb Chicken recipe for zesty flavor. The South of the Border Salad will bring loads of excitement and enhance taste expectations with its fun, creative name, variety of color, and use of flavorful spice.
Enjoy!
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