No finicky little eaters here

Brian hates pumpkin. He’s making no bones about that. Despite the fact that pumpkin was a key ingredient in the ‘Feed the Kids’ theme in this year’s Bocuse d’Or. The rest is history. Because, as you may be aware, Denmark’s Brian Mark Hansen became the world champion in January 2023. Dreaming up a dish with that pumpkin was not something he fretted over.

“When the theme was announced, I went ‘COOL! That’s just our thing!’ because that test is so tricky. The trickier the test, the better.”

So if you’re fretting daily over how to ‘feed the kids’ with picky little eaters at home, here’s where you get to prick up your ears. Because it’s not just about what’s dished up...

Devote one hour (and forget the witching hour)

Brian’s kids: Dicte age 10 and Buster age 14 have helped out in the kitchen ever since they were tiny tots. Because the thrill of cooking is downright infectious.

“The thing is, kids are far more into meals if they helped make them. And because of that, it doesn’t matter what you’re cooking. As long as they get that meals aren’t just something to get over and done with. It’s not exactly thrilling to yank a packet of frozens out and shout ‘dinner’s ready’ after 20 minutes. You need to be able to make time and allow yourself an hour to make dinner, because it needn’t take longer if you’ve planned it right.”

And, by the way (bummer, kids): “if they’re involved in the fun cooking, they obviously get to help clean up afterwards!”

What the kids say goes (-ish)

“It’s all about tapping into what grabs their interest.”

That said, even a champ has to stay on the ball!

“One week, they’re telling you butter chicken is a hit; next week they’re saying it’s sh*t. Once in a while, Dicte goes all vegetarian, but other times she’s steak-crazy. You have to be open to children’s whims, because it’s not nearly as much fun if you don’t have a say. So hit them at their level, up the ante and put a lid on it as you go. Because mostly, who cares what’s for dinner, as long as it appeals to them and has some nutritional value.”

Give ‘em space (and practise saying “oh, never mind”)

“Buster’s go-to is butter chicken. He marinates the meat the night before and takes charge, supervising the show. And the thing is, kids enjoy being in charge if set a task. Obviously, you won’t want to give them the sharpest knife from day 1, but it’s important to be willing to give them a chance. Sometimes things go wrong – the rice is overdone, the spuds are undercooked. Or dishes aren’t ready to serve at the same time. But never mind, the point is you’re all in it together. Plus, who cares if the tomatoes are sliced one way or the other?”