The end of one year and the beginning of a new one causes many of us to pause and think of goals we would like to accomplish in the coming year. These goals are as diverse as the people who create them, but one theme common to many people’s aspirations for the New Year involves food in some way.
This year, involve your whole family in your goal to have a better diet by collaborating with your kiddos on a list of new foods you want to try in the New Year with a New Year’s bucket list of foods to try! This activity is a fun way to improve your family’s nutritional intake and encourage picky eaters to stretch their culinary palates!
What You Need:
- Inspirational items-
o Cookbooks
o Internet
o Food magazines
o A quick field trip (optional)
- Notepad
- Documentation options-
o Poster Board
o Calendar
o Strips of paper and a jar
- Pens, markers, and any other decorative supplies desired
- Open minds
What You Do:
- Gather your kids and the inspirational items together and begin brainstorming foods your kids might like to taste. Make it a rule no one can veto or make disparaging comments about anyone else’s suggestions. How long the list is up to your family and how frequently you’d like to try new foods. Just jot suggestions down on a notepad for now; you can edit and finalize your list later.
- Optional: If you want to take your activity outside your home, consider taking a field trip to a local ethnic and/or specialty store. Let your kids browse through sights and smells they may not be familiar with, ask questions, and daydream about what they might like to try.
- Once your brainstorming session and field trip(s) are complete, create a final version of your list. Let your kids create a documentation of your list however they’d like. Suggestions include creating a calendar scheduling when you want to try new foods, a poster display, or strips of paper that can be randomly drawn to select a surprise new food.
Now that your list is complete, hold a special family New Year’s feast filled with some foods you are all wishing to try.
