Meet Kristy from @onmykidsplate

What inspired/prompted you to start your @onmykidsplate?

I had struggled a bit with picky eating with my child when she was a young toddler. At the time I started my account we had just moved back to the US and found we were grabbing convenient food all the time, and in turn my kid was beginning to get pickier again. On My Kids Plate started as a food diary for my child, and helped me visually see that I was offering her balanced meals and just as importantly- variety. When I can offer her more variety at home, it helps me to not only feel like I am doing my best as a mom to introduce her to new foods and to also find alternatives we love. It also helps me to relax as a parent when we do offer treats or convenience food. I’ve found that fun food is also a great way to surprise my daughter so that she gets more excited about trying new things. I hope that my recipes and ideas help other parents who are struggling with trying to add variety to their kid’s diets.

What is something you have learned from another #foodiemom and applied to your own cooking/meal strategy/etc.?

I think I’ve learned a lot more about food allergies and alternative options. Food is meant to be shared, and I feel like through meeting more people with food allergies and intolerances I think about the alternatives more. All kids, whether they have an allergy or not, should be able to have fun food sometimes. So even though my child doesn’t currently have dietary restrictions, I think more consciously about food when I’m creating for more then just our family.

What is a food or nutrition related goal that you have for 2018 for yourself or your family?

My goal this year is to get more of my recipes on my website so that other parents can try them too! On Instagram this past year I’ve focused a lot on simple ideas parents could create from an image, but I’ve been asked more and more for recipes- and for video tutorials. I have a hidden zucchini meatball recipe for example that I owe to a lot of people. (sorry guys!) In all seriousness, I hope I can help more people offer great meals and snacks to their kids, and maybe make them laugh along the way. I also always hope to expose my kid and family to more and more variety in our meals.