You are what you eat, so why keep ingredients a secret from children? We asked kiddie chef extraordinaire Catherine McCord, founder of Weelicious and mother of two to chime in on sneaking pureed veggies into dishes for tots!
LilSugar: Sneaking food is a hot topic among parents, why are you against it?
Catherine McCord: The most exciting thing about becoming a good eater is learning about where foods come from — their tastes, textures, appearances and smells. The more kids know about foods, the more empowered they will feel about eating them.
LilSugar: Why do you think it’s important for kids to know the ingredients they are eating?
CM: It's important for kids to know what they're eating so that they can be educated about what's actually going in their bodies. The more kids know about the foods they're eating, the more excited they will be about discovering new foods.
LilSugar: Do your kids ever surprise you and ask for a healthy dish or order one while dining out?
CM: My son's favorite restaurant is Mongolian BBQ. It's basically a great big salad bar with fresh vegetables, proteins and noodles that he builds into a meal for himself and he loves it! The more interactive food is, the easier it is to get kids to eat it.
LilSugar: What’s your best dinnertime trick?
CM: The best "trick" I use is getting my kids involved in the cooking process. The more I let them help with little tasks in the kitchen, the more inspired they become about eating the food. When you let your kids be a part of the process and show them how the foods start as one thing and end up as another — it goes a long way! Stirring ingredients, picking the ends off of beans, pressing buttons on a food processor — all of these tasks are so much fun to kids!
Check out some of Catherine's incredible and edible creations here!