Take a Taste Tuesday with BeetBox
Hello! We are Sara Burkhart and Christina Saluke, Co-Creators of BeetBox, a subscription service designed to get kids ages 3-10 excited about eating fruits and vegetables. As moms to young children, we have a passion to teach kids how essential these tasty foods are and to help set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating. We create boxes packed with original content and carefully curated items intended to make fruits and vegetables appealing. Children will discover information, recipes, snacks, activities and products highlighting the fun and flavor of produce. BeetBox encourages children to experience hands-on involvement: shopping for, learning how to properly store and prepare and most importantly tasting produce! BeetBox strives to make fruits and vegetables a delicious and approachable part of everyday life while motivating children to learn through play. BeetBox is a local Columbus company that delivers monthly subscription boxes and one-time gift boxes nationwide.
We both enjoy shopping with our kids and have seen how involving them in the process of choosing foods and talking about options has a positive impact. Going to the grocery store or farmers market is an interactive and hands-on learning experience for our children. We embrace the sights, sounds, tastes and smells as talking points. When we get back home the kids are involved in unpacking the groceries and in food prep when it’s time to cook. The more immersive the practices are the better understanding our children have of nutrition, kitchen safety and proper food handling. It may take twice as long and be twice as messy but it’s also twice as fun!
Other guidelines that we each follow in our homes are that everyone eats the same meal at the same time and we don’t incentivize with sweets or withhold them in exchange for eating other foods first.
These strategies make meals a no-pressure experience which eliminates the stress on the children and parents. Mealtime is something to look forward to and is a chance for conversation instead of a battle. When every bite a child takes or doesn’t take is not scrutinized over they are more comfortable experimenting with foods and often end up as more adventurous eaters. Additionally, when the children see parents and caregivers enjoying food in a healthy way they will be more likely to pick up on those behaviors.
Something to try: Thank You Bites
Have your child take at least one bite of whatever is served to them as a way of saying “thank you” to the person who prepared the food. Kids often find they like the item! A simple, no pressure way to offer new foods with the bonus of reinforcing manners.
Something to keep in mind: Research has shown that it takes up to ten tries of a new food for a person to decide if they like it or not. Keep giving your kids new foods prepared in a variety of ways to make sure they have a solid sense of their preference for it.
Something to make: Kid-Friendly Green Smoothie.
Perfect for the warmer months and very simple to blend and enjoy outside in the sunshine or while on the go to the next summer activity. Kids welcome the sweet treat that is packed with iron and Vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the iron. Be sure to make one for yourself!
Kid-Friendly Green Smoothie
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 banana
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup apple juice
Connect with BeetBox:
@beetboxkids (Instagram account)
www.beetboxkids.com (website)
www.facebook.com/BeetBoxKids
lettucehelp@beetboxkids.com
Each Tuesday for the next several weeks a fellow mom/friend/community member will be sharing a fun recipe, tips to include kids in the cooking process, or a great family restaurant for “Take a Taste Tuesday.” If you are interested in sharing your eating and/or cooking fun be sure to connect with me via email!