5 Amazing Instagram Accounts to Help You Inspire Your Toddler to Eat Healthily
As most parents know, it’s not easy to persuade your child to eat what’s good for them. When they’d rather throw their food onto the floor instead of putting it in their mouth, just giving them whatever they’ll eat seems like the only option. Bananas for breakfast, lunch and dinner it is!
At the same time, everyone knows a parent who extolls the incredible appetite of their child. Their kid will eat anything put in front of their tiny faces. Vegetables, fruit, a good ol’ vindaloo curry… (their favourite of course!) All chowed down and asking for more. Well, if you’re one of those parents then I’m happy for you… but my little ones have all had their fussy food stages.
How to inspire your toddler to eat healthily
So, how can you inspire your toddler to eat more healthily? Toddlers can be wily creatures, but they’re also simple too. If you’re trying in vain to get your kids to try new foods or stick to a diet that you’d prefer to have more control over. have discovered that sometimes it’s all in the presentation.
A few of my favourite Instagram accounts have figured out how to make food look amazing for kids. Not just kinds, but everyone in fact. These are 5 of the best…
I absolutely love this account. Run by a mum of 3, it’s mainly based around fruit. Some of the creations are beautifully simple, others take a little more construction and planning. Turning carrots into fish, avocados into sloths, bananas into cows - what genius! These clever food designs are perfect for kids parties as they make even the plainest foods look cute and exciting to eat.
There are even some helpful videos, check out this one on how to make banana penguins. I dare you not to try them!
Smoothie bowls are a huge foodie craze right now, especially in the health and fitness space. If you’re a busy parent - getting all your own nutrients squeezed into the day can become low on your priority list. Smoothie bowls are quick and easy to make, packed with nutrients and perfect for you and your little ones. They have the consistency and taste of frozen yoghurt so they’re sure to be a hit with toddlers.
All you need is a good blender that can crush frozen fruit easily.
The creamy consistency can be achieved by freezing fruit and mixing it with frozen (or non-frozen) bananas, oat milk, nut butter and other healthy ingredients like chia seeds and topped with more fruit. Toddlers only need a small portion and the natural sweetness of the fruit is enough without the added honey.
This account is great for food inspiration for all ages as well as great food styling ideas specifically for kids. Making salad look like a spring garden was one of my favourites. Let’s admit it. Sometimes it can be hard to make a salad look exciting for kids! They also regularly feature other food styling creations on the page so it’s a good way to discover even more foodie creatives.
If you love sushi and you’ve had a go at making it before, this is the foodie account of dreams. Some of the designs and scenes created from food are so clever it’s hard to see exactly how they were made. Others you can pare down and simplify. Now I’m determined to make some sushi rice or bread slices into cute little bear heads. You will be too if you follow this account!
Being a mum of two little girls has been the inspiration to create this adorable account. Although it’s not just food focussed, the images concentrate on the family and their lives. The cute food designs are easy to make and in small portions. Sure to delight little ones and encourage them to eat everything on the plate!
So many benefits of food styling
Scientific experiments seem to have given us evidence that well-styled food tastes better. Or at least, we perceive it to. Carefully prepared food also encourages to eat more mindfully, especially children who can easily get bored when eating if they’re not very hungry. It also can encourage us to think about the ingredients we use and how to use them more creatively.
If you have a go at food styling this month, tag us @matchstick_monkey and show it off!