Mom to Mom Nutrition

Katie Serbinski, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and millennial mom, blogging about healthy recipes, child and mom nutrition, and motherhood.

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Home » Nutrition » 3 Ways to Bring Education Into Mealtime

3 Ways to Bring Education Into Mealtime

Sep 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

Whether your children are learning in-person or at-home this school year, one thing remains the same: the kitchen is a great place for kids to learn.

From trying new foods to hands-on help with cooking, one thing I strive to do as a parent and registered dietitian nutritionist is to make the kitchen a welcoming and warm place for my Four Tops. WHICH is easier said than done when I’m trying to get dinner ready and I have requests for four different things.

4 different kids. 4 different sets of food preferences. Enough. Said.

Recently I partnered with the Michigan Beef Industry Commission and Fox 2 News Detroit to share 3 ways in which I bring education into mealtime- when the timing is right. I say that because of what I shared above. It’s not every day. It’s not every meal. But once or twice a week I encourage the kids to help make dinner, pack their own lunch, or help set the table.

I also have a few more, “organized,” ideas [below] for those times when YOU are prepared and need a lesson or two that’s hands-on and computer free. I know we all appreciate Zoom learning but man, it can get tiring looking at a computer screen!

3 ways to bring education into mealtime
Seconds before going live with Fox 2 Detroit! Thank goodness for a tripod, Zoom, and a good friend who helped that morning! Lord knows I couldn’t have pulled this off with a 7-year-old camera assistant 😉

3 tasty ways to bring education into mealtime + quick bullet points on the benefits of each:

  1. Food Taste Test:
  • Prompts kids to identify new flavors and try new foods
  • Encourages kids to become more adventurous eaters
  • Doubles as a learning opportunity and easy lunch option
  • Use a muffin tin as a base, and fill with foods like sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and bitter
  • Sweet- fruit, salty- ham, sour- salt and vinegar chips, spicy- salsa

  1. Fruit/Veggie Kabob:
  • Helps kids identify patterns and compare shapes
  • Doubles as a math concept and hands-on activity
  • Slide fruit onto skewers to create different patterns. Talk about the kinds and numbers of shapes, and the pattern you are creating

  1. Dinner + Reading Activity:
  • Pair a dinner recipe with your child’s favorite book, like 5 ingredient slow cooker meatballs + cloudy with a chance of meatballs book
  • Reading at night helps with language development, listening skills, and of course quality time together
  • Nutrients found in beef such as iron, zinc, and protein provide energy for active bodies, aid in growth, and support a healthy immune system

Looking for more meatball recipes? Try these:

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

Turkey Pesto Meatballs

Baked Mini Meatballs

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Meatballs

Want to get the kids in the kitchen? Try these recipe ideas to encourage [messy] participation at home:

Pizza Bar for Dinner

Slider Bar for Dinner

Kid-Friendly Yogurt Parfaits

How We Taco Night

Stay tuned as I’m going to be updating this blog post with the video from Fox 2 where I go more in depth on these activities and give YOU a snapshot of this working-momma’s at-home life!

Whether your children are learning in-person or at-home this school year, one thing remains the same: the kitchen is a great place for kids to learn. From trying new foods to hands-on help with cooking, one thing I strive to do as a parent and registered dietitian nutritionist is to make the kitchen a welcoming and warm place. #educationduringmealtime #rdn #tipsfromardn #tipsfromadietitian #educatingyourchildrenathome #mealtimetalk #mealtimetalkforkids #mealtimeeducationforkids

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Katie Serbinski at Mom to Mom Nutrition

WELCOME!

Hi, I’m Katie! Registered Dietitian, Mom, and Mealtime Negotiator. I’m on a mission to make mealtime happier, healthier, and easier with small children, despite what my 4 picky eaters have me believing. From family-friendly recipes to confessions about my unfiltered motherhood moments, I hope you grab a seat at my kitchen table!
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