Hate their veggies? Not if they were eating art!
Would your kids want to drink this cocoa? One of our regulars is creating salad art to help her kids eat more veggies and sharing it on her new blog www.kidseatingart.com.
Could this adorable owl concinve them to nosh some veggies? (From www.kidseatingart.com)
We all know how frustrating it can be to watch your kids push their veggies around their plates and not eat them.
Well one of our regular contributors, New Mom, has created a lovely new blog to inspire parents to help their kids eat healthier by making it fun and beautiful. She calls the blog Kids Eating Art (www.kidseatingart.com) and each day she posts the artwork she creates from fruits and veggies.
She started out just posting the photos on Facebook, but with encouragement from her friends she created a blog to share with the world. (You guys may remember that New Mom and I went to high school together.)
I am amazed by the details she replicates and how the objects really look like what they are supposed to be. My favorites are the Hot Cocoa, Owl and Bunny. (The Hot Cocoa is very colorful!) Be sure to click on the link to see all the photos. She usually adds more each day.
New Mom uses step-by-step photos to show how she builds and layers each “painting.” It’s easy to follow even for the un-art inclined – like me! Also you can send New Mom your salad art for her to post on the blog as well.
New Mom writes on the blog about her philosophy on food for her two girls:
“… we didn’t want our kids to grow up with any food issues, and we REALLY didn’t want picky eaters on our hands….so when I was pregnant with our first, I started my research. And everything I found pointed me to the ‘chill-out’ method of raising non-picky eaters. (I named it the chill-out method, that’s not really official!) What this means: We don’t make our kids clean their plates. We just present them with healthy food and let them choose what they eat. In fact, there was a quote from a handout we received from our doctor, published by the local children’s hospital, that basically said “It is the parents’ responsibility to provide good, healthy food for the children. And it is the children’s responsibility to eat it.” (I’m paraphrasing) There have been nights when my husband and I have repeated that over and over to ourselves and each other, while our girls didn’t eat. It helped to remind ourselves that forcing them to eat is counterproductive.”
“Another thing we are concerned about is the issue many young girls face when it comes to food–eating disorders. Now you may think that 3 and 1 are too young to be concerned with that, but right now, it’s a matter of properly training ourselves to be good role models, to model healthy attitudes toward food, and to emphasize healthy eating rather than dieting. Once you realize how much kids listen to things you say but also watch what you do, it will make you examine yourself more. I sometimes ask myself, ‘do I want our daughters to think this way about herself? About food?’ And if the answer is ‘no’, then I know that I need to work on better modeling a proper attitude.”
“OK, so what does all of this have to do with Salad Art? I’m not completely sure (see, I told you this was a work in progress!) All I really know at this point is that we want our daughters to be healthy eaters. To be adventurous eaters and not picky eaters. To enjoy food, but not to be obsessed with it. And I suppose that my Salad Arts fit, because they smile when they see veggies and fruits. They laugh because they are eating a cat’s whiskers. Or a boat’s sail. And if they grow up to be imaginative and fun-loving, then all the better.”
So I wanted to share her food creations and her blog with you so hopefully it will inspire you to have some fun with your kids’ veggies too.
What do you think: Do you like New Mom’s creations? Do you think you could do it? Would it help your kids eat more veggies? What do you want to see her make next? (I wonder if she’ll take requests!)
- By Theresa Walsh Giarrusso, Momania at ajc.com
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73 comments Add your comment
mom2alex&max
January 21st, 2011
12:12 pm
The creations are adorable….however, my kids still wouldn’t touch them. They are horrible, horrible eaters and I blame dad who doesn’t touch a veggie with a ten foot pole and has refused my efforts to make meal time more complete. It’s my biggest failure as a parent.
Lori
January 21st, 2011
12:14 pm
Well, these are cute and all, but my kid isn’t stupid enough to eat his veggies just because they are cute!! If you don’t like carrots, you don’t like carrots. I don’t care if they look like something else.
new mom
January 21st, 2011
12:16 pm
Hi guys! Thanks Theresa, for all of the sweet words. And yes, I do take requests! In fact, the owl was a request.
I hope you enjoy my Salad Arts, and please let me know if you try it. I’m hearing lots of success stories from my friends. Happy Salads! :)
DB
January 21st, 2011
12:20 pm
SOOOO cute! new mom, you’re an artist!
new mom
January 21st, 2011
12:38 pm
Thanks guys!
I knew I was opening myself up to lots of outside criticism when agreed to have my blog here, versus all my friends who probably wouldn’t say what they really think! :)
But I do want to mention a couple of other things that you will see when you read through my blog entries: One, these salads aren’t magical. Some nights our daughter hates them and only eats a little bit. Two, most nights they make our girls smile. They may not get entirely eaten, but we aren’t ‘clean your plate’ people anyway. Third, our girls are little. If yours aren’t that little, I have recommended getting the kids involved and challenging THEM to make a design! If they are involved in the dinner, they are more likely to eat it. And Fourth, most kids don’t immediately like all veggies. Our three year old started off only eating tomatoes. Gradually, after repeated exposure to a variety of veggies, she started nibbling on different ones. It has taken probably two years to eat peppers, and they still aren’t her favorite, but we just keep presenting them, along with all kinds of other veggies.
My overall advice is to keep it fun and get the kids involved. When our daughter ‘helps’ me make her salad, or even just watches, she is a gazillion times more likely to eat it.
And I won’t be on here arguing over salad, life is too short for that. :) But I will happily take any requests you may have, and please feel free to come back to my blog to see what new salad arts I’ve made!
Becky
January 21st, 2011
12:41 pm
These are very cute..With that being said though, I’m very blessed that my two will eat veggies without making them look pretty..Heck, they are 8 and they both eat sushi.. I do make an effort at times to make them sandwiches cut out like trains or butterflies, but not on a regular basis..The girl loves salads and will order them when we go out to eat..Really confuses the wait staff..Guess they aren’t used to someone that has to be in a booster seat to reach the table order salads..:~)
Photius
January 21st, 2011
12:44 pm
It’s very cute and I think it should be done only once in a blue moon. I have taken the approach when feeding my family since I do all the cooking and cleaning in the kitchen that if you don’t like it, don’t eat it – but you won’t be eating anything else in my house until breakfast. This isn’t Burger King where you can have it your way. I think there is nothing wrong about sending a kid to bed hungry if they want to play the stubborn game with us. It our house – won’t don’t cater to every whim or desire the child wants and we will not let our child control or manipulate us when it comes to special eating. If you as a parent are doing these cute designs on a regular basis, well guess what – the child is continuing to manipulate you, the parent. Only once in a blue moon or else Behavioralism takes over.
Photius
January 21st, 2011
12:53 pm
Ah Ha! Here is a quote from the Kids Eating Art blog:
The thought entered her mind, “I don’t need to make every salad into salad art, I can take a day off once in a while.” Then, as she was cutting, she thought, “How fast could I make one? And would it possibly be as good as the ones that I plan? And take a picture of every step?”
This is not the best way to parent. The child has now been conditioned only to eat food art and the parent is being manipulated via the child; you need to stop this behavior. Use things the child is attracted to as a tool or a reward for good behavior, certainly not all the time. I just dissagree with doing salad art for small children every night or the majority of the time. The child won’t eat the healthy food when displayed normally, mommy will revert to making salad art and the whole choo choo manipulation train via the child continues with the child winning!
A
January 21st, 2011
12:54 pm
Cute, but I’m sorry who has the time or inclination? Thankfully mine eats a decent variety of veggies…not as many as we’d like, but better than average. But I can’t imagine taking the time to make art out of food. Just doesn’t make sense for me, but more power to you if you can do it!
JATL
January 21st, 2011
12:54 pm
These are really cute, but I’m not artsy-crafty at all, and I would never make these. Plus, my oldest has always been a pretty good fruit and veggie eater, and the youngest is awful -but he’s coming around. He eats them at preschool around the other kids, but he’s still holding out at home. He would look at one of these and play with it, but he still wouldn’t eat it!
new mom
January 21st, 2011
1:02 pm
So funny…I actually thought I was being accused of manipulation, rather than being the manipulatee! I do these cause I love it, it’s fun, and it gets smiles. Our girls have always been veggie eaters, long before I started this on a whim only a month ago. No matter the form, our kids eat healthy food. It’s what we serve in our house. But I have seen it work for my friends with picky eaters… It’s fun, a challenge, and a way to be creative. And perhaps I’m manipulating them, but oh well. (and seriously, it takes longer to write about the salad than the 5 minutes it takes to make it!)
HB
January 21st, 2011
1:03 pm
Cute! Sure, it won’t work for every child, but what will? I especially like the idea of just generally being creative with food. If the children get involved and play with designs that may lead to playing with different flavor combinations/recipes as they get older. New mom’s laid back, yet persistent approach seems like a good one to me. I’ve seen many parents decide too quickly that a child doesn’t like something and stop giving it to him. My toddler cousin made a face after tasting dad’s lemony pasta one night, and they immediately said “she hates that” and took it away. I think it just caught her off guard. She didn’t fuss or spit it out. After the initial reaction, she finished the bite, no complaints, so I was confused as to why they didn’t leave the rest of her little serving in front of her to nibble on some more if she chose to (no need to force her).
Jessica
January 21st, 2011
1:18 pm
This is cute! My kids are are a little ambivalent toward vegetables, so something like this might encourage to eat more veggies.
Kathy
January 21st, 2011
1:31 pm
Photius…..thank you for your comment. I TOTALLY agree with you.
This is just weird to me. newmom……you want to model good healthy eating habits….why don’t you just model eating the food the NORMAL way. If they eat what you serve great…..if they don’t, OH WELL. They will learn that at dinner you eat what mommy cooks or you will be hungry until the next meal. At school or at restaurants, the food is not presented in cute little creations. Not only are you being manipulated but it sounds like you have WAY too much time on your hands.
Sorry to be so harsh…..just my opinion.
ABC
January 21st, 2011
1:49 pm
What Kathy, Photius and A said. Seriously this is the silliest thing I’ve heard of. This and the whole idea of hiding veggies like Jessica Seinfeld does. As long as your kid is getting a pretty good variety of foods over the course of a day or week, they’ll be fine. And tastes and palates change over time, so today’s picky eater could be tomorrow’s next Top Chef!
mom of two
January 21st, 2011
1:55 pm
This is a prime example of someone wanting to be their child’s friend instead of being the parent! Children need to learn how to eat properly, not be manipulated with attempts to trick them into eating their food.
If you feed them veggies from the get-go, they learn to eat them without complaint even if it’s one they’re not in love with. My kids NEVER complain about eating veggies. They are always served 2 veggies with dinner and at least one with lunch. If it’s something they don’t care for, they can take a smaller portion, but they eat it – without complaint. It’s never been an issue – it’s just understood that that’s the way it is because that’s the way it’s always been.
My older child doesn’t care for yellow squash. Since we had so much of it out of the garden, it’s on the menu regularly (I have a whole bunch in my freezer). He and I have scoured the internet looking for different recipes. We prepare each new recipe together and then try it out. We have actually managed to find a way to fix them that he likes!
If I’d just made cute designs on his plate, he’d still hate squash. Since they were regularly on his plate and he was regularly eating them, he was happy to join in to find a differnt way to fix them. That was a postitive learning experience for him and good quality time for us together. That’s a whole lot better than manipulation…
Becky
January 21st, 2011
1:57 pm
@ABC..Please don’t ever buy the “cookbook” that Jessica Seinfeld published..I bought it (on sale), that was a waste of $5.00..Everything about it was a waste..I gave it away as a Christmas gift..:~)
jarvis
January 21st, 2011
2:03 pm
You gave a book that you knew was no good as a Christmas present?
Mom? Is that you?
Stephanie
January 21st, 2011
2:08 pm
Wow, some of you critics must really have it all together and never make a box of Kraft mac & cheese. Both my young kids are good veggie eaters but I tried making the train last night and my 4-year old thought it was cute. No, he didn’t eat it all but that’s because he was full from his snack of tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots that he asked for. So what? It was fun. I think it’s a great way to expose a variety of foods to them. It’s not that different from having your food garnished or finding a note in the lunchbox everyday. So she uses her talents to arrange food? I bet since she’s making regular salads that it isn’t going to take that much more time to cut a couple extra slices. I actually found it fun to be creative. But hey, I actually enjoy making my kids smile once in a while.
JJ
January 21st, 2011
2:08 pm
My daughter was always a good eater. She never ate a lot of candy or junk food. I on the other hand was a picky eater growing up, and there are still certain foods I just don’t like. PEPPERS, any kind, except jalapenos. Tomatos or raw onions……ICK….ICK….ICK…..mushrooms – gross….
But I eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruits.
My daughter has beautiful teeth, nice and straight and not one single cavity, no braces either. The dentist hates both of us. He always says “Oh you with the beautiful teeth, I’m not going to make any money off you..”
JJ
January 21st, 2011
2:11 pm
Hi New Mom……..I hope all is well with the babies. We sure do miss you here!!!!
JJ
January 21st, 2011
2:26 pm
If you have your kids participate in preparing meals, they are more inclined to eat it.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 21st, 2011
2:31 pm
I think there was some harshness there — i think New mom enjoys being artistic and likes having fun with her kids. The girls watch as she works and they enjoy that time together. I’m sure my kids would be thrilled if I took the time to do that. They would be fascinated!!
I think it’s definitely different than the Jessica Seinfeld stuff — the kids know these are veggies — they are just presented in a nice way —- Adults totally respond to that too!! Caterers wouldn’t have jobs if that wasn’t true nor would chefs — their job is to make everyday food more appealing just like new mom is doing!!! Don’t act like food presentation doesn’t make a difference to adults too — that is a bunch of BS — it absolutely does.
JJ – mine like to shop too when they can — I watched Walsh choose and weigh out a bag of apples from across the farmer’s market – he brought me the bag and I said what did you choose — he said pink ladies because they are my favorite. how much per pound — he ran back to findout adn then we did the math since he weighed them — he loved that.
Stacey
January 21st, 2011
2:34 pm
I’ve been fortunate that my son has always loved veggies (he’s pickier about fruit) but when he was younger I would have loved to do this for a birthday party or some other fun occasion where I might be entertaining probable picky eaters.
When my sister’s kids were little she convinced them that they didn’t like foods that she didn’t like and would actually get mad at my mother for “making” them eat them. Because the kids were not being exposed to the foods at home, they wouldn’t realize what they had gobbled up until afterwards. They usual reaction was “My mommy said I don’t like ________; can I have some more?”
Becky
January 21st, 2011
2:35 pm
@jarvis..yeah I did..Funny thing though, the girl that I gave it to really likes it..I guess I just like to experiment more with food and really didn’t like this cookbook..It was given to a coworker that actually wanted it,so I gave it to her..:~)
@libs..Man get a job or something..If I wasn’t upset over what jarvis said, why do you get your boy panties in a wad?
@Stepahnie..Uh, no I don’t ever make Kraft mac & cheese..My 2 don’t eat it..I do try to make the food they eat look good, I’m just not going to make a habit of it..I work, spend 2+ hrs. per day in traffic and so forth..The kids (as mentioned) are very good eaters..I don’t know many 8 yr. olds that eat sushi, oysters, calamari (sp), brocolli, brussel sprouts, turnips and other “odd” foods and veggies..This is why I don’t try to “fancy” their food up every night…
Libs are idiots
January 21st, 2011
2:39 pm
“@libs..Man get a job or something..If I wasn’t upset over what jarvis said, why do you get your boy panties in a wad? ”
I love it when bloggers suggest that other bloggers get a job when they themselves are blogging. The stupidity never ends with people like you.
mom of two
January 21st, 2011
2:45 pm
Stephanie – I don’t think anyone here would disagree that having fun with your food is a good thing. If someone wants to make designs out of food on their kids plate for something a little different and fun, there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, the subject of this blog is “Hate their veggies? Not if they were eating art!” Anyone who truly believes that a kid is that easily manipulated and will suddenly start eating food they don’t like merely because it looks cool on the plate is living in a dreamworld.
A more appropriate name for the blog would be “Ways to get your kid smile when he sees food on his plate he doesn’t like and won’t eat.”
My kids and I do have fun with food. I have a form to make pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse (it was a gift from someone). We love to use it every once in a while. However, I do not delude myself into thinking my kids would eat pancakes merely because they were shaped like Mickey if they didn’t like pancakes in the first place.
I use cookie cutters to make biscuits sometimes. Ghosts at Halloween are fun. As are gingerbread men at Christmas, etc. It’s more fun than plain round biscuits, but the shape doesn’t affect how many biscuits the kids eat.
When one child was recently sick with a stomach bug, jello jigglers in cute shapes put a smile on that weary face. I have jiggler molds that are appropriate for about any holiday or event out there. But, my husband still doesn’t like jello jigglers!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
January 21st, 2011
2:46 pm
Libs are idiots/bob — I’m getting ready to ban you — I can’t babysit you all day and you’re just antagonizing everyone — so …
Libs are idiots
January 21st, 2011
2:53 pm
“I can’t babysit you all day and you’re just antagonizing everyone — so …”
Who did I antagonize? I made a funny crack with jarvis and Becky goes and runs her mouth.
Stacey
January 21st, 2011
2:56 pm
Sometime people (not just kids) will just have it in their heads that they don’t like something such as my nieces and nephew in my earlier post. By presenting it in a cute way, they may be more inclined to give it a try without even necessarily know it. Once they try it, they may find that they like it and be more inclined to eat it in a more traditional form. That’s the point I get from new mom’s idea.
jarvis
January 21st, 2011
2:57 pm
Becky, I love my mom to dath of course, but she is a legendarily bad gift giver.
I meant no offense. Just trying to be funny. Gald you took it the way it was intended.
JJ
January 21st, 2011
2:58 pm
Stephanie – I don’t make boxed mac and cheese. No canned food or boxed “prepared meals” are allowed in my house, with the RARE exception of corned beef hash.
Tiger Ochocinco Mellencamp
January 21st, 2011
3:04 pm
@Libs….”I made a funny crack”…..
One problem…It wasn’t funny.
So you’re not funny AND you’re a liar. You’re building quite the vitae here.
Stephanie
January 21st, 2011
3:08 pm
@mom of two- I agree but just want to point out that if you read a little more of her blog you’ll find out that the kids don’t always eat the vegetables, no matter the presentation and sometimes they eat them w/o any presentation. It looks like she knows that this isn’t a magic way of getting kids to eat something they don’t, just a fun way to present it. It just sounds kinda picky if you want to re-name her blog because you do seem to understand what she’s trying to do – be artistic. I like to do artistic stuff once in a while but I’m really not creative. It’s fun to look at someone’s ideas and think, hey, that would be fun. I don’t do it everyday. If she enjoys doing that and has fun with including the girls in it, I really don’t see the harm. Some of the people on here seem to be reading waaaaay too much into this and are judging a person’s parenting based on a creative skill.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
January 21st, 2011
3:12 pm
In Elementary school my mom fixed my lunchbox everyday with carved apple faces, jullienned carrot sticks, and i love you written on the napkin..
Of course, later on, I just got $5 and told to get something to eat
mom2alex&max
January 21st, 2011
3:17 pm
If this is what it took to get mine to eat them, you better believe I would be all over it. Mine don’t because I didn’t fight that battle and it was a mistake. It didn’t help that dad doesn’t eat veggies either. Meal times can be stressful around here.
HB
January 21st, 2011
3:20 pm
Absolutely, Stacey. I’ve known many kids who have stubbornly refused to eat any and all vegetables because they’ve picked up the idea that they are supposed to be “yucky”. Even less stubborn kids will be put off by the looks of some veggies. This is a good way to entice them to go ahead and try new things or perhaps things they have only tried once or have not tried recently. Or to eagerly eat things they don’t particularly like or want, but don’t really detest either. My grandmother used to get my cousins who at first claimed they didn’t like butterbeans to eat them by giving them special butterbean sticks (flat toothpicks) to eat them with. Did the stick magically make them taste better? Of course not. They probably weren’t crazy about them to begin with, but not really as disgusted by the beans as they let on, so adding just a little fun made them eager to eat them instead of reluctant.
If your kids love veggies, great, but some may need a little more convincing. Still others are always going to be pickier than most no matter what you do because they really can taste things that you may not, such as more pronounced bitterness in broccoli. (For example, as anyone for whom cilantro tastes like soap can tell you — it’s genetic, it really does taste more like Ivory shavings than parsley to us, and if you sprinkle it raw all over my dish, I will puke!)
new mom
January 21st, 2011
3:21 pm
OK, I had sworn I wouldn’t comment anymore, but I guess I am…
I have been so surprised at all of the negativity generated by little designs made with vegetables. Theresa & Stephanie, you hit the nail on the head–we enjoy doing it together, and it’s fun and special to us. Our three year old WILL try new things eventually, but there are lots of things she still doesn’t like. I don’t sweat it, we just continue to offer her healthy foods. We just got back from a vacation that didn’t include a single salad art, and both girls ate tons of fresh veggies and fruit that I brought from home, straight out of the rubbermaid containers. So…I guess they WILL eat veggies just as they are, even if they have eaten them pretty before.
Time to go, our three year old has asked to make a salad art herself tonight. A horse. Of course I’ll do the cutting, but I can’t wait to see where her imagination takes her!
jarvis
January 21st, 2011
3:40 pm
Manipulation? Get a f’ing grip lady.
That’s like saying it’s manipulation when you make the best out of anything not enjoyable.
“We manipulated the lemons by making lemonade.”
Not the way that saying goes is it? Not the way I try to look at things in life. I don’t know how cup-half-empty people make it through each day.
Becky
January 21st, 2011
3:47 pm
@jarvis..I have been know to give bad gifts also..lol..hopefully I’m not old enough to be your Mom though..:~) Trust me, I took no offense to that..Heck, I don’t any take any offense to being called stupid..I have never said that I was the smartest person on the blog..Mainly because I know that I’m a long way from that..
@libs..just the facts ma’am…
@new mom..I didn’t mean to come off sounding negative..My two go to the grocery store with me and pick out things that they want to try..The girl loves to cook and can make a mean biscuit (for her age)..I just hav been blessed that they will eat veggies even if they aren’t cute was my point..The rul in our house, is that if it’s put on the table, you try it..This is why they eat mushrooms, bell peppers, calamari, feta cheese, green peas..There isn’t much that they won’t eat..I also tell them, I don’t really care for this, but you can eat it..Their Mom tends to not cook things that she doesn’t like and will tell them they can’t eat it..They will never hear those words from me..
GMJMom
January 21st, 2011
4:22 pm
Photius, you need to lighten up– with your kids and with other moms. You sound like an angy mom. Just sayin!
Photius
January 21st, 2011
4:31 pm
Ok, so TWG and new mom can’t understand – perhaps this might help:
A quote from the blog:
I’m learning a couple of things about having this blog. The good: Lots of accountability. I was already doing these salad arts nearly every night, but knowing that I’m going to post a picture the following morning really does make me want to get more creative! The bad: Lots of accountability. Even though I’m recording this little veggie journey for all the world to see, I am reminding myself to stay focused on the reason I’m doing it in the first place. And to not let this blog stress me out, ’cause I assure you, I don’t need any more stress!
Since we almost the same age, after reading this I think “Baby Brain” has fallen upon you. Seriously, you’re a 38 year old woman…. read your own words… something is not right with you. Either you need to seriously get out of the house, perhaps go back to work or at the very least hang out with other adults where you can have an adult conversation not centered around children.
Photius
January 21st, 2011
4:32 pm
“I am reminding myself to stay focused on the reason I’m doing it in the first place. And to not let this blog stress me out, ’cause I assure you, I don’t need any more stress!”
Are you serious??? Really?
FCM
January 21st, 2011
4:46 pm
@ New Mom–they are great…don’t forget to the girls to help you make them as they get old enough to do stuff.
As for mine…the youngest orders apples, oranges, or broccoli with a burger. The oldest will more likely order salad or a potato.
Mine have vegetables they like (11yo loves turnip greens, snap peas, and sourkraut. 8 yo prefers broccoli, salad, and garbanzo beans). They have ones they hate (asparagus is on the list for both). On the other hand of the things that they “love” I only eat broccoli, salad, and snap peas. I do however eat asparagus.
In our house you do have to try the veggies made. You do not have to eat them all.
In fact at my house we do vegeterian nights.
As to would I do these? We covered that during the holidays with pumpkin soup bowls. HECK NO. I am not interested in taking the time to do it. The kids sometimes do it when they help me in the kitchen but usually not. But hey if you want to spend time and enjoy it then go for it.
Stephanie
January 21st, 2011
5:03 pm
I agree with GMJMom… Photius, you sound ticked off about something. Rather than take out your frustration on some mom blogging about her artistic creations, maybe you could find something more constructive. Are you really searching her blog looking for things to ridicule her about? That is just plain mean-spirited. You seem to really take enjoyment in it and that is sad. It sounds like you are the one who needs to get out and interact with others.
TheDrafter
January 21st, 2011
5:54 pm
@Photius – you clearly think you know everything since you are overly critical of newmom’s simple, yet creative blog. I’d like to know if you are deliberately teaching your children about being critical of others’ new ideas and then going so far as to mock and insult them as you have done above. Classy move…i’m sure your kids are going to turn out to be really nice folks with your role modeling. Instead of keeping it to constructive criticism and setting a good example, you chose to blatantly judge and criticize someone repeatedly. And we as a society wonder where bullying originates…? I think an IQ test should be mandatory before procreation.
Sandra
January 21st, 2011
7:24 pm
There are a few slightly harsh comments but whenever someone posts anything on-line for others to read not everyone will agree with what is posted.
I personally thought that the pics are cute and would be a nice project to do with very small children. I don’t think my fourteen year old would appreciate it but my almost 3 year old would. I don’t have too many problems with my kids eating either fruit or veg as long as they are raw (it’s the reason they hate green beans). When I was making veg soup today the kids were eating (stealing) all the veg as they were being cut up for the pot. By the end I had a potato, rice, onion and garlic soup. They even ate all of the Jerusalem artichokes I froze my hands digging out of the garden this afternoon. The three year old became very upset when I ran out of veg for her to eat.
Sandra
January 21st, 2011
7:34 pm
BTW, My favourite was the owl. Mainly because raw peppers can give me gas! ;-)
Sandra
January 21st, 2011
8:21 pm
Talking about food …… Well, we were talking about veg but close enough ……. Has anyone had a cashier spit on their cheese? Well, not exactly spit more like rub spit on the outside of the plastic the cheese was in. I did. It was gross. I wrote about it once when I was on Twitter (way too much effort that twitter stuff) but wondered if things like this happened to other people not just me.
jen19
January 21st, 2011
11:12 pm
Wow, I’m really amazed by the negative comments! I have viewed this blog before it was posted on AJC, and I was really amazed at the ideas and the simplicity of it all. My kids are older than New Moms, but I sure wish I had thought of this when they were younger. Even so, as a mom of three with a full time job, I wouldn’t have been able to do salad art on a regular basis, but what’s the harm in it either way? I know New Mom personally (she was my college roommate), and I know that this is just an expression of her personality and a way to have creative fun with her daughters. I don’t see how that can be misconstrued as manipulation! So, it involves food – just a plus in my book! I think some people are just “reading too much into this.” As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure that my 9 yr old daughter would be all over wanting to CREATE ( not necessarily eat everything) these if I was adventurous enough to show the pictures to her. My sons would probably enjoy making them too! Who knows, maybe we’ll try it some weekend, and if they eat a different veggie than normal because of it, then GREAT!!
deidre_NC
January 22nd, 2011
7:29 am
wow…..sure didnt expect to see so many people getting their panties in a wad over how to present food lol…i dobt i would have ever made this ‘art’ with food…but my kids always ate about anything (except any kind of liver lol) but i have done things like make green spagetti noodles for a christmas even spagetti dinner….they hated it…thought it was gross because it was green lol…i agree if the kids are involved in buying-growing-cooking the meals they are more likely to at least try the food-even then if they dont like it they just dont like it. the best part of the whole idea to me is getting the kids involved in the vreativity of it all….and tthe smiles on their faces…yeah-the smiles are the best part :)
deidre_NC
January 22nd, 2011
7:30 am
i also made ‘hamdogs’ once–rolled hanburger into hot dog shapes and put them in a hot dog bun…just for fun lol…
Steph
January 22nd, 2011
8:16 am
Ok people. calm down. Everyone has their own style with parenting and I truthfully think this is a great idea if you have trouble getting your child to eat veggies. In my family, we are all very healthy and all the kids are served veggies since they can eat solid food!!! But unfortunately it doesnt mean they will eat it and some have even gone 2 days without eating because of the “eat it or dont eat” method. Different things work for different people. Stop acting like selfish idiots because Im pretty sure there are areas of your parenting ideas that arent so great to other people either
fk
January 22nd, 2011
8:36 am
Cute ideas, and if it works, it works. I have to say, too much thought in preparation for me. My son is far from a picky eater at 20. I grew up with salad at every dinner, so we have that, too. Starting from shen he was a toddler, I usually served salad and at least two other vegetables with dinner (not always cooked) and gave him two fruits (e.g., 1/2 of an orange and 1/2 of an apple), or a few strawberries and grapes, etc., at lunch. I would do repeats of the ones he ate and did not eat. He loved plums. If he refused the same thing 2x, I simply did not make it again, unless we, my husband and I, liked it. There was always another choice or an alternative. I also kept grape tomatoes, cukes and other fruits cut up in see-thru bowls, easily visible in the refrigerator. They do look appetizing. The key is not to start them on junk food at an early age, because he likes that, too. He thought the only time to get McD’s was when we took long car trips, made it a special occasion rather than a weekly routine. He could spot those arches on the interstate miles away.
I grew up in a large family, so we rarely had prepared foods, other than the staples, Velveeta cheese and tomato soup. My younger brother and I were jealous of our friends who got to have, seriously, Spaghettios, for a hot lunch. My mom would boo-hoo the thought of buying such a gimmick food. She made her own sauce and we could’ve had that over pasta. No, we wanted the “real” thing. Well, eventually, after years of requests, she relented and served it for lunch one day. Gross! And you know what, we had to finish it. Never again.
tim
January 22nd, 2011
9:28 am
I have a neighbor who feeds her 12 yr old son Burger King 7 days a week for at least the last 6 yrs. 12 chicken nuggets, 1 order of fries, 1 order of onion rings, 2-3 cokes, and a whole lotta catsup. Exactly the same every day. She fed her son only 1 flavor of baby food until he was 3.
For lunch M-F she makes him a p butter only sandwich, chips and a juice box for lunch.
The son is overweight and doesn’t get any physical activity at all. He only plays video games with dad or watches tv. Neither Dad or the son is interested in any physical activity.
The mom always drives her son to a very nearby school, picks him up after school, and heads to Burger King.
Mom and Dad eat chicken wings from Publix or Wal Mart 3-4 nights a week for dinner…..and she considers herself a good cook.
The husband won’t eat veggies and smokes 2 packs of cigs a day, and won’t cut back, even tho his parents died of lung cancer. Mom smokes too.
I feel the son is going to be an obese, chain smoking, eating disorder man…..courtesy of his parents.
Is this normal?
q
January 22nd, 2011
9:30 am
I eat vegetables. My momma was not big on cooking. It was hamburg, potatoes and peas every night. One day a year there was a change, Thanksgiving. Then it was turkey, peas and potatoes.
Believe it or not, I can eat a variety of foods, and i still like peas. Breakfast was toast, orange juice every morning for 17 years. Lunch was at the school cafeteria. I like d some of the stuff they served.
Ideally speaking there should be more variety than that, however, we are a very food oriented society, dozens of food joints in just one block. I would like to think that there is more to life than eating. The other night at the state dinner for the Chinese president, I did not see the menu, but that is what we should all be eating,
Wow...anger anyone
January 22nd, 2011
9:59 am
As a mom of one, family breadwinner, 50+ hour a week worker, and top chef in my house, I have to say this is adorable stuff. I also have to say that some of you are really angery people and seem to really enjoy cutting off a fellow mom at the knees. Why in the world do you care so much about how another mom spends her time with her kids. Did any of you who are so adament that New Mom is being manipulated stop for a second and ponder that perhaps her children get to enjoy time with their mom, learn how to enjoy food on a different level, participate in their food preparation and generally be happy? Isn’t this a good thing? Isn’t this something we all wish we could do all the time and try to fit in wherever we can.
Quit cutting other moms down. It just makes you look hateful.
Kay Lees
January 22nd, 2011
10:18 am
I think I am more impressed with the fact that you and your husband take the time to actually sit down and eat dinner together as a family. This is something that we always did every night with our girls. The time that you are taking right now will bless you in the years to come. Maybe they won’t eat their veggies who cares. But what they will do is remember that they have/had a great Mom who took the time to prepare fun things for them to eat. And I bet by the time they are school age they will be making you art to eat. Keep it up Mom you are doing a great job.
Robin
January 22nd, 2011
10:34 am
New Mom:
Thanks for sharing you Salad Arts with us. They are cute, and I think my daughter would love them. Of course, I am lucky, because she already likes tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, green beans, potatoes, corn, cabbage.
Thanks for the ideas, and keep them coming please!
Tiffany
January 22nd, 2011
11:09 am
New Mom- my daughter and I looked at the pictures of your food art on your blog together, and we both agree that the food art is totally cute and unique. What a caring and creative mom you are! Your ideas are delightful, and I like the way you use different items, depending on what you have on hand. Making meal time fun for your children is something to be proud of. I know your children will have fond memories of this when they are older. I could even see you publishing a cookbook about this in the future. Thanks for your creativity-and keep up the good work!
DB
January 22nd, 2011
11:43 am
Wow, there’s a lot of MEAN people out there. No one is saying that you should do this every day to sneak vegetables into your kids. Newsflash: It’s FUN. Just fun. That’s all. She’s not saying embrace it as a lifestyle, for god’s sake. Here’s a gal who has more imagination than I do when it comes to food, who is having fun with it and is just sharing. And everyone starts lecturing her? WTH?!
Creativity is such a gift, and if new mom is using food to spark her children’s creativity (or even to feed her own), WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT?! I would never have spent the time or the trouble to do it — but then again, I wouldn’t spend the time knitting a sweater, making a quilt or painting a picture. It’s just not in me. That doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate and enjoy someone else’s efforts.
catlady
January 22nd, 2011
1:27 pm
I guess you know my opinion already. Anything you make this big a deal about, you are setting yourself up for trouble. Eating is a natural process. We get hungry; we eat. Put good, nutritious food on the table and make no comments about it. Folks eat or they don’t. If they don’t, there sure are not any snacks set out later. (And snacks are fruit or yogurt or cheese, not junk). They won’t starve to death if they elect to miss a meal. And it IS an election. If you want to set up a struggle, focus on making the food cute. Later, the struggle will be over something MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than food. You are setting the table, literally and figuratively, for the future.
I am constantly amazed by parents who seem to do everything they possibly can so that they can say, “I can’t get him to eat that.” or “She is such a picky eater.” It’s like raising a picky eater is a badge of honor! For goodness sake, just cook good food (or serve raw) and let everyone have how much ever they are hungry for, with no interference. No coaxing, no hand-wringing.
I can tell you the more you make something natural into a bone of contention, the more likely you are to have some REAL fun when your child is 12, or 13, or 14. Teachers can pick out your child–it shows that much!
Good food, water, fresh air, sunshine–all these things are needed for children (and plants) to grow up properly. Your job is to provide these things, not to entertain, coax, over-protect, dither, or coddle.
It’s imperative that your spouse be on board with this as well.
Tiffany
January 22nd, 2011
3:05 pm
I don’t understand all the negativity here either. This reminds me of people who love to bake and decorate beautiful cakes and cookies. Desserts can be a work of art as well. The fact that the food art is nutritious is a plus. Nobody said you had to do this everyday or could never serve regular looking food ever again. This is all about having fun, being creative and having fun with your kids.
newblogger
January 22nd, 2011
5:15 pm
Good grief! Some people on here need a vacation. But by all means, please go someplace where they won’t dress up your food and you will only be allowed to drink lukewarm tapwater. We wouldn’t want you to be “manipulated” by any food that is presented in any other way than the way nature intended. My kids are a little old to try this on, but they would probably get a kick out of it. I would have tried it when they were little, but I’m not very artsy. Keep up the good work New Mom and shame on those who look down their snotty noses at you. Holier than thou is not a good look for anyone.
Hindu Elvis Pimp
January 23rd, 2011
10:51 pm
Lice? What lice?
TwentyOneThirteen.com » Blog Archive » Sweet Art
January 24th, 2011
6:45 am
[...] Hate their veggies? Not if they were eating art! – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) She calls the blog Kids Eating Art (www.kidseatingart.com) and each day she posts the artwork she creates from fruits and veggies. She started out just posting the photos on Facebook, but with encouragement from her friends she created a blog to share with … Jan 21, 2011 11:54am [...]
Friend of new mom
January 24th, 2011
9:19 am
I have read all of the comments and I am shocked. First of all, I know new mom personally and I am not one bit surprised that she has made what she wanted all of her life (to be a mom) into a daily adventure and something that brings joy to herself as well as to the children she was blessed with. Second, I am so sad for that angry, crazy, mean woman who had the nerve to quote the blog and then make fun. How sad and unfortunate for your children (and for you) that you have so little imagination and fun incorporated into your daily life. New mom said she always made a salad for the kids and THEN got the idea of making the art….They don’t eat the veggies b/c it’s art…she started making it into art b/c it was fun. And, yes, of course, any working mom that has a long commute daily would not have the time for something like this except for maybe on a weekend or special occasion. New mom never said “you are inadequate if you don’t do this”. Sounds to me like the haters out there feel inadequate and guilty b/c they have to run through McDonald’s on the way home from work. Oh, and believe me, I understand the plight of the working mom. I, too, am a working mom so something like that would only be done when I had the time. That is one reason that weekend meals are always better…I have more time to plan and prepare. Why do we live in a world where people feel the need to criticize instead of build one another up? A simple “that’s a cute idea but I don’t want to, don’t have time, etc..” would have sufficed or how about “Wow, that’s awesome new mom!”. So, Newmom, I think your food art is incredible and I also think that you are a special, gifted, concerned, sweet mother who is doing a wonderful job making sure your girls learn healthy eating habits and also that food can be fun. Don’t pay attention to the haters…they are just jealous that you get to be home with your babies!!!
new mom
January 24th, 2011
11:38 am
Hi guys!
I had tried not to comment anymore on this blog, but I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who wrote such kind words and came to my defense…to those I know personally and those I don’t. And some who have written that you know me, yet I’m not sure who you are! But thank you, I really do appreciate it. :)
mombiealert
January 24th, 2011
1:32 pm
About every third Mombie scatters “veggies” on a plate in something other than a random pile and decides “She’s onto something”! This shows up number 2 on the top 5 “cliche’s mombies do” list, behind white turtle neck, red santa sweater vest, matching earings and ahead of lol’ing on facebook abouth too much darn volunteering at the little guys school today!
mombiealert
January 24th, 2011
3:03 pm
Oh, and #4, Those denim vests in the summertime, and #5 on the top 5 “cliche’s Mombies do” list, Being younger than 30 and using the word “Festive” to descrbe…anything.
Cammi317
January 24th, 2011
3:22 pm
Cute, but I would never do it. Thank goodness my daughter likes a good variety of fruits and vegetables. I have never been one of those parents that do things like: (1) Cut the crusts off of sandwiches (my daughter never wanted it done because she was not started off that way. As far as she is concerned the crusts and the end pieces are just as good as the rest of the bread) or (2) Drown food in ketchup, sauces or gravies (The only time my daughter asks for ketchup is when she is out eating with friends and that is only because she feels like the odd man out). I would occasionally make a Mickey Mouse shaped pancake on a Sunday morning for fun, but she would have eaten regardless….who doesn’t like pancakes?
motherjanegoose
January 24th, 2011
4:01 pm
O.K. I have had lunch with newmom and know she is a sweet person with a heart for her kids. One of her children is my birthday twin minus almost 50 years…haha!
I am a creative person and admire anyone else who is creative, in the different ways they express themselves. That being said, I would not delve into the veggie or any food art. It is simply not something I am into. I tried to cook good meals for my kids. If they were hungry, they would eat. If they chose to skip what we were having, they would be hungry in the morning and then they would eat. This only happened a few times in our house. Both eat lots of things they did not eat as a child. Their taste buds have matured. They tasted it while younger but enjoy it while older.
@ cammi 317….no crust cutting here either. That one sends me into orbit. What is the difference between cutting off the crust or cutting off the top part of the hamburger bun? To me, nothing and kids eat hamburgers quite often!
newmom, you might be onto something here…authoring a cookbook.
Kat
January 25th, 2011
10:45 pm
newmom: I think the art is great, and something that your children will remember for the rest of their lives. Photius: I think your kids will be in therapy; you might wish to go for some anger management class too.
I don’t think going to this extent is for me, but I focus on other things that my kids will enjoy. Spending the extra time (it obviously takes some extra time) means that that is how you wish to spend your time with your children. Others do other things with their kids. It’s just different ways of expressing yourself (and veggies!). No one should say it is “wrong” because you know your kids better than anyone.