Despite cooking wholesome organic meals and exposing Sam to a wide range of flavors as a baby, my 3-year-old is one of the pickiest eaters around.This child won’t even eat basic kid staples like chicken nuggets and french fries – it’s all mac + cheese, yogurt, and, fortunately, fruit. However, veggies are a struggle – even the more innocuous ones like potatoes!
So when I was introduced to Kia Robertson from Today I Ate a Rainbow I was very open to trying out her fun program for picky eaters. Having grown up as a very picky eater, Kia wanted to ensure that she did everything she could to establish healthy eating habits for her daughter. After reading about the importance of eating a rainbow, Kia, along with her husband Jamie, set out to make eating fruits and vegetables fun. Knowing their daughter, they knew they needed to create something fun and interactive to capture her interest.
They created the Today I Ate A Rainbow chart as a way to keep track of the produce that their daughter was eating while at the same time encouraging her to take responsibility for her food choices. Their goal is to help parents create an environment where kids will reach for an apple instead of junk food. Despite the information that is available on the importance of kids eating a minimum of five servings a day, studies from around the world have shown that kids aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables.
The magnets definitely gained Sam’s interest and made him more inclined to eat the vegetables he will accept, like cucumbers and tomatoes. We are working toward getting him to try new foods on the list and will also tell him that eggs and meat count as colors, on the off chance it will help entice him to the protein he is sorely missing with his carb-heavy diet.
The Rainbow Kit ($18.99 CAD) contains a portable magnetic chart, four sets of rainbow tracking magnets, four achievement cloud magnets, The Rainbow Bunch book, two magnet strips for the free downloadable I Tried It Today chart, and access to Shopping List and Rainbow Eater’s Certificate. Learn more at todayiatearainbow.com