Shikha started out sharing her delicious family recipes as a hobby – now her ideas are inspiring thousands of parents through Instagram as My Little Food Critic.
How would you sum up your cooking style?
I'm all about quick and easy recipes, cramming in as many nutritious ingredients and as much flavour as I can. Dishes that adults and children can enjoy together – basically great family food. But I’m definitely realistic, I know all children go through fussy phases!
How did your passion for food develop?
I learned to cook from my mum and my grandma and have always loved it. Like any new parent, when I started to think about weaning my son, I wanted to give him the best start. But the recipes and pre-prepared products I found seemed so bland or full of processed ingredients. This made me even more determined to create my own recipes.
I wanted my son to enjoy eating what my husband and I enjoyed, and for our meals to be healthy and flavoursome.
Tell us about how My Little Food Critic came about?
It started as a hobby – my family and friends suggested I share my recipes on Instagram a couple of years ago to see what I was cooking and try my recipes. It evolved quickly when I started to get lots of amazing feedback from new followers. Parents would say things like “I can't believe my toddler ate carrots because I cut them into a funny shape!” These comments inspired me to do more and start the website and create recipe books. I love sharing my ideas, developing new recipes, and hearing from other parents.
What are your kitchen cupboard essentials?
Number one are spices, by which I mean aromatic spices like paprika, turmeric and coriander. I always have basics like flour and tinned beans and lentils. Lots of pasta – most children love it and there are so many ways to make delicious and nutritious sauces. Peanut butter and other nut butters are versatile – spread them on toast, mix into yoghurt or add to porridge – they’re great for adding protein and healthy fats. And I always keep frozen fruit and veggies in my freezer – they’re convenient and a brilliant time-saver.
What are your top meal tips for other busy parents?
My first tip is to plan your meals ahead – it takes pressure off you. I’d also recommend batch cooking whenever possible. Whether you’re making curry or a pasta dish, double up and pop half into the freezer. When you're tired or busy, it means you’ve always got something healthy and enjoyable available. I also do this with breakfast dishes like pancakes and snacks including fritters. And I know it’s not always possible or practical but I’d also say to eat together as a family often as you can. It's a brilliant chance to talk about food, where it comes from and why our bodies need it. You also get to be a role model – your children can see you eating and enjoying food.
And your advice on fussy eating?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that when your child rejects a meal, it's not a reflection on you, or what you've cooked. Don’t put pressure yourself. It's all exposure and sometimes it can take hundreds of exposures to something new before they'll try it, so be persistent and consistent with the food that you want them to eat.
If your child doesn’t eat a meal and knows you'll end up making something they do like, they'll just hold out. But do give them some controlled options about elements of their mealtimes. For example, “Would you like cucumber? Or broccoli?”. It helps them feel empowered.
Another top tip is not to label foods.
Try not to call anything a ‘treat’ – food is just food, whatever it is. Lead by example, create a positive attitude but stay neutral about your child’s reactions. Even if you want to dance because they’ve eaten carrot. It stops food being labelled as good or bad.
And finally make meals fun – use cookie cutters to make creative shapes or give foods funny names; like broccoli trees and strawberry jewels. Sounds silly but it makes child laugh and helps breaks down fears they have about food.
You’re a massive fan of spices, so what’s your advice on introducing them to children?
Use the opportunity when you’re first weaning to offer lots of different flavours – babies are definitely more receptive. There are some important things to remember: no salt for little ones and no chilli to start with as it can irritate their tummies. But other than that, don’t be afraid of spices – they can quickly elevate simple meals and add so much depth. Start small with aromatic spices and build up flavours over time. The other great thing is that spices are a great talking point – you can chat about different flavours, colours and where they come from.
What are your favourite family meals?
We love deconstructed meals, dishes like fajitas or tacos. They encourage children to try different foods, they’re sociable and hands-on, so your little one gets used to handling foods. We’re also huge fans of porridge – I love serving up different flavour combinations like blueberry and strawberry porridge – my son is always excited and intrigued by the bright colours! And on the weekends, we love shakshuka (eggs poached in an aromatic tomato sauce); it’s fun and great for babies because they can dip into the sauce and it’s easy to mash up. Another family favourite is lentil soup – easy to cook but so comforting and healthy.
Do you use cooking as a family bonding activity?
Hands down, it’s one of my favourite things! As a baby, my son watched me cooking and as he’s got older, he’s got more involved. He started off with simple tasks like pouring, stirring and adding spices. Now he's 4, he chops ingredients using his own children’s knife or a cookie cutter to make shapes. And most recently, he's been helping at the stove, which is a big moment. It’s such a relaxed time and we chat about all sorts of things, not just the food. I definitely notice if he’s helped me to cook a dish, he’s keener to eat it.
If you’re busy, it’s not always practical to get your kids involved. But there might be simple tasks they can do like washing and prepping ingredients. Kids can be messy but my advice is to embrace the mess – and you can turn cleaning up into a fun game. And get them involved with ingredients on shopping trips; when they’re older, you could even give them their own shopping list to tick off.
Shikha recently gave us her top tips for making food fun over on our Instagram.
