I stumbled upon the idea of marketing food to your kids a few years ago, but didn’t realize that this was the subject of active academic research until quite a bit later.

Imagine my surprise when some of the tried and true French approaches to kids’ food education were the subject of sophisticated studies by leading American academics! They’ve proven what my French mother-in-law already knew: that positive marketing messages can convince kids to like healthy foods.

One of my favourite researchers on this topic is Brian Wansink, who is a Professor of Consumer Behaviour (how fun is that?) at Cornell University. Here’s a fun article published last month on the Huffington Post on Wansink’s insights into kids’ food.

Marketing food to your kids is the topic of an entire chapter of my new book Getting to Yum. I found it worked like a charm with my kids! Here’s a feature article published this week on some of the key tips and strategies for parents. Spoiler alert: for younger kids, positive marketing requires parents to be a bit silly! But that’s part of the fun…

Jess Dang is the energetic and inspiring found of Cook Smarts - a great online menu planning site! When I saw her infographics, I knew we shared a food education mission! 😉 Thanks, Jess! When Karen tweeted me to ask if she could share Cook Smarts’ ‘Guide to Enjoying Vegetables’ infographic, I immediately said, “Yes!” I was even more excited when she asked if I would contribute a blog post about some of the other fun projects Cook Smarts is working on, especially since our latest project is all about how to raise healthy eaters. As a past cooking instructor, I had the opportunity to work with a lot of parents, and many of them struggled to find ways to include their children in the kitchen. The kitchen was already a stressful enough place. Adding kids to the equation would only multiply that stress. However at Cook Smarts, we really believe that getting kids comfortable with helping in the kitchen from an early age sets the foundation for healthy eating. Young kids are naturally curious and will always want to take part in what their parents are doing. The earlier they’re included, the more likely they’ll continue contributing and helping as they grow up. While their schedules will get busier with extra-curricular activities and increased homework-load, the skills they’ll build in the kitchen are just as valuable to their success in the future. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to include kids in the kitchen though. Luckily there are so many resources out there with great ideas. Karen’s upcoming book ‘Getting to Yum’ is full of fun games that parents can play with kids to expand their food horizons. We also came up with an infographic that suggests a wide range of activities for every age range. Yes, there are ways to include kids as young as 1! If you want even more ideas on how to raise healthy eaters, visit our ‘How do I Raise Healthy Eaters’ page. Jess Dang is the Chief Kitchen Cheerleader at Cook Smarts. Cook Smarts believes that health starts with a home cooked meal. Click here to explore their cooking info and tools that transform home cooks into kitchen heroes.

A great way to encourage reluctant eaters is to make food visually appealing. .
One of my favourite examples is Samantha Lee, a Malaysian mom who makes stunning “bento box” style dishes for her children, like the one pictured here. Check out a video of her amazing “food art”, here, or visit her wonderful blog: eatzybitzy.com. She’s an amazing artist — and has attracted worldwide attention with her work (check out her blog for food art interpretations of Lady Gaga, Brave, and the Eiffel Tower!).

My attempts tend to be more mundane, but successful nonetheless. Simple happy faces are much appreciated in our household! Bon Appétit! 😉

So excited to be letting you know about these new Taste Training Plans!

In response to popular demand, I’ve created these short plans which help you teach your child to learn to love new foods. Based on my new book Getting to Yum, the plans provide you with easy, tasty recipes that will expand your baby’s palate (and maybe even your own!), Top Tips, Games, Coloring Sheets, plus a personalized Taste Training Graduation Certificate at the end!

Learn More: Find out more about Taste Training here, and the amazing Science of Taste Training here. And check out the happy family testimonials.

Give Back: The proceeds will go to help food education programs in schools (we’re currently supporting the amazing Project Chef in Vancouver), and low-income families can access the plans for free upon referral from a paediatrician or hospital. Proud to be giving back to the #foodiekids community!