So…How do you get your kids to eat and actually enjoy fermented foods?

This is probably the most frequently asked question during my workshops by people with children. To be brutally honest as a mum of 3 it can often be very challenging. Kids are all different and their tastes are always changing. One minute they love something the next minute they hate it. Here are a couple of things that work for us and may work for you too.

For children eating is not only about taste of food but also about the look and smell of food. So making the experience fun and ‘special’ can really help. In our house its all about the ice lollies! For months I used to make delicious smoothies every morning using Kefir, fresh fruit, raw honey/maple syrup/ stevia. I would add super food powder, seeds, etc. I was lucky if they drank half the small cup I gave them. It often turned into a bribe or a battle to get them to drink it. Then one day I turned a left over batch of smoothie into a cool rocket shaped ice lollie. They couldn’t believe their luck! The best anytime snack ever! I really like these tried and tested ice-lollie recipes.

Another favourite in our house is flavoured water-kefir- especially ginger flavour. Way tastier than any store bought rubbish fizzy drink and with way less sugar and full of probiotic goodness. I change the flavours all the time so no one gets bored. They especially love drinking them straight out of the small grolsch bottles that I brew the water kefir in! Got some funny looks when I brought them a bottle each at school pick up a while back. Check out my delicious water kefir recipe and some of my favorite water kefir flavours 

Getting my kids to eat fermented veg is more of a challenge. We always have a jar of some sort of sauerkraut or kimchi on the dinner table. It’s a normal part of our daily food routine and they see my partner and I regularly eating it and we regularly offer it to them. My eldest loves it, my middle one will have the occasional taste, and my toddler is more reluctant. I still have hope and will keep on offering it to them.

As with all new foods and children its important to take it in your (and their) stride. No point in stressing too much about it all. In my experience stressing out and pressuring them to eat something usually has the opposite effect.