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Fun learning to support picky eating

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Fun learning to support picky eating, Judith Yeabsley|Fussy Eating NZ, #TheConfidentEater, #FussyEatingNZ, #TryNewFoods #HelpForFussyEating, #HelpForFussyEaters, #FussyEater, #FussyEating, #PickyEater, #PickyEating, #SupportForFussyEaters, #SupportForPickyEaters, #CreatingConfidentEaters, #TryNewFood #PickyEatingNZ #HelpForPickyEaters, #HelpForPickyEating, #Wellington, #NZ, #JudithYeabsley

Fun learning to support picky eating

Involving children in all aspects of food is important. It’s great life skills and learning. Helping can be even more important when they are hesitant or uncomfortable around food.

For children who do struggle to eat, it can be difficult to interact comfortably with food, particularly when the emphasis is on eating.

Therefore, it’s good to involve children in ways that are
fun and low pressure. 
Often away from the dinner table is the best way to manage this.

Interaction is a key way to build comfort around food. When the end goal is not eating, this often makes it achievable for even the most hesitant of children.

One of the ways to do this is through experiments. They do not have to be complex, and indeed many of the following are super simple.

These are also good ways to keep the children entertained during the holidays or on wet weekends. Older children can do them independently too!

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Fun science experiments with food

1. Magic rainbow milk – this is quick and easy, uses things you have at home and the science behind it can be understood by most children at some level.

Ingredients – Bowl, small jar or saucer, cotton bud, food colouring, milk, dish washing liquid.

i) Pour some milk into a bowl.
ii) Squeeze one drop of several different colours of food colouring into the centre of the milk in the bowl.
iii) Put a little detergent into a jar or onto a saucer.
iv) Dip a cotton bud into the detergent.
v) Touch the tip of the cotton bud to the food colouring in the milk bowl.
vi) Watch the magic happen.

2. Bouncy egg – this is fun but requires lots of time waiting for it to be ready.

Science experiments with food - 2, Judith Yeabsley|Fussy Eating NZ, boy with egg, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForFussyEaters, # ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForPickyEaters, #TryNewFoods, #TheConfidentEater, #FussyEatingNZ, #HelpForFussyEating, #HelpForFussyEaters, #FussyEater, #FussyEating, #PickyEater, #PickyEating, #SupportForFussyEaters, #SupportForPickyEaters, #CreatingConfidentEaters, #TryNewFood #PickyEatingNZ #HelpForPickyEaters, #HelpForPickyEating, #Wellington, #NZ, #JudithYeabsley

Ingredients – egg, jar, vinegar, food colouring (optional)

i) Put enough vinegar in a jar to cover an egg.
ii) Add food colouring (for a coloured egg).
iii) Place egg in the jar and seal.
iv) Wait 3-4 days for the shell to dissolve, you should see it fizz.
v) Take the egg out and drop onto the table from 10 – 20cm height.
vi) Watch it bounce.
vii) When finished, drop from higher to see what happens!

3. Coloured celery – this is a great way to show how water moves through plants. Simple and budget friendly too.

Ingredients – for full experiment see below. (For simpler, you can of course cut down on colours). 4 batons of celery, 4 different food colours, 4 jars.

i) Cut about 2 cm from the bottom of each celery baton.
ii) Pour approx. 10 cm of water into each jar.
iii) Add a few drops of food colouring to the water. Different colours for different jars.
iv) Place celery in the water.
v) Wait for approx. 20 minutes then peel back a couple of the fibres on one side to see if you can see the coloured water moving.
vi) Leave longer and see if you can see the colours reaching the top.
vii) What happens if you leave overnight?

Science experiments with food - 2, Judith Yeabsley|Fussy Eating NZ, celery, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForFussyEaters, # ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForPickyEaters, #TryNewFoods, #TheConfidentEater, #FussyEatingNZ, #HelpForFussyEating, #HelpForFussyEaters, #FussyEater, #FussyEating, #PickyEater, #PickyEating, #SupportForFussyEaters, #SupportForPickyEaters, #CreatingConfidentEaters, #TryNewFood #PickyEatingNZ #HelpForPickyEaters, #HelpForPickyEating, #Wellington, #NZ, #JudithYeabsley

4. Making cheese – this is quick and simple, using ingredients you probably already have at home.

Ingredients – Saucepan,
2 cups milk, lemon (or vinegar), sieve.

i) Pour milk into a pan on medium heat.
ii) Stir the milk constantly while heating it until it’s steaming and foamy. Do not boil.
iii) Squeeze in some lemon juice (approx. 1/8 cup).
iv) The milk will separate into curds (chunky bits) and whey (liquid).
v) Drain the curds using a strainer.
vi) Place curds on a plate.
vii) The curds are like cottage cheese and can be eaten straight away.
viii) Add salt, honey or fruit for flavour.

Science experiments with food - 2, Judith Yeabsley|Fussy Eating NZ, cottage cheese, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForFussyEaters, # ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForPickyEaters, #TryNewFoods, #TheConfidentEater, #FussyEatingNZ, #HelpForFussyEating, #HelpForFussyEaters, #FussyEater, #FussyEating, #PickyEater, #PickyEating, #SupportForFussyEaters, #SupportForPickyEaters, #CreatingConfidentEaters, #TryNewFood #PickyEatingNZ #HelpForPickyEaters, #HelpForPickyEating, #Wellington, #NZ, #JudithYeabsley

5. Magic corn – again this is easy to do, uses basic ingredients and the reaction happens quickly.

Ingredients – a large, clear glass jar, popping corn, 3 cups of water (slightly less for a smaller jar), 2 tbs of baking soda, 6 tbs of white vinegar. You can use food colouring too if you wish.

i) Pour water into the jar.
ii) Add food colouring, if you wish.
iii) Pour in the baking soda and stir until it dissolves.
iv) Add a small handful of corn kernels.
v) Pour in the vinegar and watch what happens!

6. Mini cyclone *– cyclones (or hurricanes dependent on where you live) can be something children are familiar with. This experiment is a great way to create your own version in a jar.

Science experiments with food - 2, Judith Yeabsley|Fussy Eating NZ, cyclone in a jar, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForFussyEaters, # ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForPickyEaters, #TryNewFoods, #TheConfidentEater, #FussyEatingNZ, #HelpForFussyEating, #HelpForFussyEaters, #FussyEater, #FussyEating, #PickyEater, #PickyEating, #SupportForFussyEaters, #SupportForPickyEaters, #CreatingConfidentEaters, #TryNewFood #PickyEatingNZ #HelpForPickyEaters, #HelpForPickyEating, #Wellington, #NZ, #JudithYeabsley

Ingredients – a clear glass jar, liquid soap (must be opaque not clear and contain glycol stearate), water, food colouring and/or glitter (optional).

i) Pour soap into the jar until ¼ -1/3 full.
ii) Add one to two drops of food colouring and/or 1 tsp glitter.
iii) Add water on top to fill the rest of the jar.
iv) When full, keep adding water until the bubbles overflow and are gone.
v) Screw the lid on tightly and shake to see what happens.

7. Lemon volcano – this experiment gives a quick, visual result and again uses ingredients you probably already have.

Ingredients – fresh lemon (can use other citrus fruit), baking soda, food colouring, dish washing liquid (optional), shallow bowl, popsicle sticks, lemon juice/other citrus juice (optional).

i) Place half a lemon in the shallow bowl, skin-side down .
ii) Juice the other half (or can do two experiments and use juice from elsewhere).
iii) Poke the popsicle stick into the flesh of the lemon (helps to get the reaction started).
iv) Drop food colouring into the top of the lemon (use one colour or alternating ones).
v) Carefully pour dishwashing liquid over the top of the lemon.
vi) Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda onto the top of the lemon.
vii) Push the popsicle stick into the flesh to get the eruption going.

Science experiments with food - 2, Judith Yeabsley|Fussy Eating NZ, lemons, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2, #ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForFussyEaters, # ScienceExperimentsWithFood2ForPickyEaters, #TryNewFoods, #TheConfidentEater, #FussyEatingNZ, #HelpForFussyEating, #HelpForFussyEaters, #FussyEater, #FussyEating, #PickyEater, #PickyEating, #SupportForFussyEaters, #SupportForPickyEaters, #CreatingConfidentEaters, #TryNewFood #PickyEatingNZ #HelpForPickyEaters, #HelpForPickyEating, #Wellington, #NZ, #JudithYeabsley

These are just a few ideas to create a bit of fun – and some learning.

Science experiments with food can be a fun way to engage  children who are not as enthused about cooking. It’s also good for encouraging older children to interact with food.

For additional ideas check out this blog: https://theconfidenteater.com/blog/other/science-experiments-with-food/

*thanks to Sue Lively for the idea

Judith, MA Cantab (Cambridge University), Post Grad Dip Psychology (Massey University), is an AOTA accredited picky eating advisor and internationally certified nutritional therapist. She works with 100+ families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table.

She is also mum to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.

Learn more about Judith here: https://theconfidenteater.com/about/

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