Play With Your Food!
- February 29, 2012 |
- by Dawn V. Woollen
It’s no secret that we at The Family Dinner are firm believers in playing with our food. We don’t usually mean this literally, but there are few better ways to make dinner fun and engaging than playing a game around the table. We love vocabulary games, getting-to-know-you games, word games … basically any game that gets everyone talking, participating and laughing!
So you can imagine our absolute delight when we learned about Crunch a Color: The Healthy Eating Game!
Like most parents, Jennifer Tyler Lee struggled to get her two young children to eat healthy, balanced meals. She knew that simply repeating the constant refrain of “eat your veggies” generally results in a hoarse voice, defiant kids and a frustrating dinner. Believing that there had to be a better way to make dinnertime fun and healthy, Jennifer created Crunch a Color.
The concept is simple: Played at mealtime, kids earn points for eating a balanced and colorful plate of veggies, fruits, proteins and grains. Bonus points are awarded for setting the table, good manners and initiating a conversation. Trying a new food doubles your points!
The best part? It worked! Jennifer’s kids went from picky eaters to avid players – earning points, expanding their palates and learning to love a wide array of fruits and veggies, all while laughing, talking and, with 30 points, “winning” every meal!
It’s easy to see how Crunch a Color went quickly from a homemade game played at Jennifer’s dinner table to being launched in September 2011. In just a short time it has garnered national attention, won several awards and has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and others as a great way to get kids to eat healthy.
Only $12.95, a portion of each purchase supports non-profit children’s programs including FoodCorps, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard.
Fun? Simple? Rewards dinner conversation, good manners and setting the table? Encourages even the most reticent child – or adult! to eat their veggies? Supports non-profits dedicated to combating the childhood obesity epidemic? You can see why we love this game!!
But don’t take our word for it – to learn more, for tips and recipes and to purchase your own copy please visit CrunchaColor.com. Jennifer has proved that sometimes it’s a great idea to play with your food!
There was no “My child won’t eat, etc.” in my household. We have the 2 time rule. If you try it twice, and it is horrible both times, you’re done. My son is 16, and eats Brussels Sprouts, broccoli, squash, all those things most parents say they can’t get their kids to eat. I am also teaching him how to shop and cook. Don’t throw your ignorant 18 yr old out there into college and expect them to eat something besides pizza. Eating well takes training just like anything else.