Taste for Life at home
Taste for Life is a new pre-school education programme supported by Organix. The programme provides fun, motivational ways to encourage children to love fruit and vegetables without tears or tantrums!
Based on an original concept by Lucy Thomas it aims to encourage young children to touch, feel and experience fruit and vegetables before eating them.
There are many great ways for you to enjoy Taste for Life at home with your child. Try downloading our specially created activity sheets including recipe suggestions, colouring activities, games to play using fruits and vegetables, make and do craft activities and songs to sing! There is also a downloadable sticker chart to reward your little one for their achievements.
For more feeding advice and yummy recipe ideas for toddlers you can also visit Organix Goodies. Organix Goodies offer a range of natural, nutritious snacks for toddlers. Guilt free for parents and yummy for toddlers.
Taste for Life is part of a wider campaign – Better Food for Nurseries Now - led by Organix and the Soil Association calling on the Government to introduce genuine nutritional standards in Nurseries.
With best wishes from us all at Organix
Top Tips
Never ask a child to eat, try or taste anything immediately. Get them to explore the food by asking them to kiss, lick or crunch it instead. You are not tricking your child, merely asking them to engage with food in a more interesting way. If you ask your children who can do the loudest crunch in their celery they are more likely to bite it and see, than if you say “here try some celery it’s really good for you!”
Do not force a child to eat a meal that they do not like. This will make them like it even less! Instead, take the time to talk about and explore the components of the meal away from the table. Encourage children to be involved in preparation and cooking as much as possible, although they will need the close supervision of adults.
A good way to explore vegetables that are disliked is to explore them both raw and cooked. Many children dislike the pungent smell of cauliflower, especially if overcooked, but small crunchy raw florets with houmous or a dip are delicious and very palatable. Children love to help in the preparation, which also affects their willingness to try what they have cooked.
Introduce reward charts for discovering fruit and vegetables. You can download one of these from the Taste for Life website: www.tasteforlifenursery.com
Children are great imitators, so it is important to set a good example.
