Crunch a Color. The Healthy Eating Game

A few weeks ago my pal, Cortney, gave us this game as a gift and it's been the focal point of our kitchen table ever since. If you have anyone in your house that is under the age of 12, a remotely selective eater, and/or you'd love to see more good fruits and vegetables go into your kids, you need to check out Crunch a Color. Now.

The premise is simple: earn points by eating a rainbow of healthy foods. The execution is brilliant. You can earn more points for eating more nutrient rich fruits and vegetables as well as those that are generally less accessible for kids. Think 5 points for carrots, 10 for cauliflower, 15 for raddicchio. Kids can rack up bonus points for setting and clearing the table, making polite dinner conversation, and our personal favorite - double points for trying a new food.

Now, I don't have a deal with the Crunch a Color folks. Nobody asked me to try this product and I'm definitely not getting any kickbacks for a positive review here. But after years of feeding therapy for Roo, dealing with food allergies, oral delays, food aversion and picky eaters day in and day out I've tried all sorts of incentives, tricks, and games to encourage healthy eating. Crunch a Color is one of the best tools I've found. It works particularly well in a group setting (peer pressure, anyone?) and is just right for my 6 and 4-year-olds.

So far it's inspired the following:

• An impeccably set dinner table most nights
• 6 new fruits and vegetables sampled by all, eagerly, I might add.
• A newly discovered love of arugula (Looly)
• The wise assertion that jicama is a lot like if a raw potato and an apple had a baby (how true, right?)
• Far less dissent when protein appears on a plate
• 1 heated discussion about what constitutes a healthy grain
• A better understanding of what constitutes a serving size for different bodies
• 1 request for a third helping of Brussels Sprouts

I must be getting a little obsessive about it because at a party recently I was recounting the ways in which Crunch a Color has changed our family's dinner dynamic. Who wouldn't want to hang out with me at a party, right? Anyway, the guy I was talking to, father of 2 young kids, picked up his phone in the middle of the conversation and ordered the game on the spot. You should too. 

So, Looly has embraced leafy greens. Bean, who's always been a relatively good eater, but generally dislikes meat (except steak), is finishing a small serving of protein at most meals. Roo's eating focus has improved which means far fewer reminders to have another bite. And most fun for me, the troops are clamoring to try new stuff at every opportunity. Jicama, turnips, sweet potatoes, and rutabaga are no longer met with looks of disgust. Instead I'm hearing a whole lot of "How many points is that?"

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Chips

Building. We're always building on past success. Of course I use the term very loosely as it pertains to feeding my kiddos.

Kale chips are a hit. Even Looly is coming around, albeit slowly. Beet chips are hugely popular with most of the family and I suspect Looly will come around on those eventually too. So then, Brussels sprouts chips?

Along with beans, beets, kale, and most things colorful, vegetarian, and healthful, Bean has always loved Brussels sprouts. Two Thanksgivings ago, as a two-year-old, she sat on the counter eating raw "baby lettuce" while I prepped to roast them for the rest of us - the "rest of us" being the adults of course. Looly was not convinced and at that point I wouldn't have even entertained the notion of putting a leaf of any variety in Roo's mouth for fear of gagging. But this is a new realm. And in this realm, we make chips out of Brussels sprouts.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts Chips

1&1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the ends off the Brussels sprouts and discard any wilted or yellow leaves. Separate each sprout into individual leaves. This is the perfect job for eager little fingers that want to help! When you get to the dense core and can't remove any more leaves, you can toss it, save it for another recipe, or feed it to Bean.
2. Spread the leaves in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toss with oil to coat. Bake 10-15 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until leaves are crisp and brown on the edges. If some leaves brown faster than others, remove the crisp leaves and continue baking others until they are all nice and crisp. Season with salt to taste.

No surprise, Bean went barmy for these. And once again Looly and Roo were not impressed, but they each managed a few nibbles. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was Mufasa, who was nearly as enthusiastic as Bean. That's success in my book. These little munchies are staying in rotation and might just make it to the Thanksgiving table this year.