Getting Your Kids To Try New Foods

[celiac-mommy]

Our menus were getting a bit stale, same things keep popping up on our plates every week. I had a thought, I gave my dd the globe, told her to pick a country (we will do this on Sundays and cook on Mondays). Then we researched the country and the traditional foods from that country. I picked a traditional main dish, side and dessert that incorporated new spices and ingredients but also foods I thought they would eat--this is our 1st week, didn't want to get too crazy So, "adventurous" her, she picked Mexico (I was hoping for something a little farther east). We did the research and this was the menu for our 1st "traditional" Mexican fiesta--and I have to say everything turned out amazing, especially the chicken and the flan (which I normally don't like). The chicken is definetly a new favorite!!! Plus, she helped make everything so was very excited to try it all!

Tostadas:

corn tortillas lightly fried in a bit of grapeseed oil

lettuce

tomato

onion

shredded chicken-- Open Original Shared Link

guacamole

sour cream

cheese

Mexican Rice: just the right amount of spicy and not too much for the kids

Open Original Shared Link

Flan:

Subbed 1TBS vanilla extract for the vanilla bean, and decreased milk by 1 TBS. Note--if you're going to try to go lower fat--ff evaporated milk, skim milk and egg whites, it turns out great but you have to cook at 350 for at least double the recommended time--but start with the time given and check every 15 minutes or so after. I'm pretty sure you can't over cook.

Open Original Shared Link

I can't wait to see what they pick next week!!!

[Ridgewalker]

What a fantastic idea!! Thanks for sharing!

[celiac-mommy]

Next week she wants to "travel" to China. Her best friend is from there, so that helped her decision. After that, I'm going to have her pick somewhere totally new. It's working out really great and they're having fun with it.

[purple]

We did something similar with the girl scout troops in our area (10 yrs ago...wow time flies!) Each troop selected a country then on a certain day we all got together and presented what we learned (clothes, posters, maps, jewelry, foods, dances, songs, history, etc.) from each country including food samples. Ours was easy. We did Mexico and the girls chose chips and salsa. It was alot of fun esp. sampling the variety of foods. This is a great thing for homeschool family groups to do. Its funny how the kids like the foods when they partake in any part of it- shopping, cooking, planning, sharing it.