Ayesha Curry's 9 Best Tips For Shaking Up Family Mealtimes

Published on Feb 27, 2017 at 8:31 AM

Ayesha Curry is a chef, cookbook author, entrepreneur, wife to NBA star Stephen Curry, POPSUGAR Moms celebrity crush, and so much more, but she's also a mom to two beautiful girls, Riley, 4, and Ryan, 18 months. When it comes to mealtimes with her girls, Ayesha knows how to shake things up so that nothing about eating ever feels monotonous, and through her tactics she's encouraging healthy habits and tons of family fun.

Ayesha is working in partnership with Cheeky Kids, a one-for-one company that makes a playfully designed collection of disposable mealtime essentials and works with No Kid Hungry, a campaign that "connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals." For every one item purchased, Cheeky donates the monetary value of one meal to a family in need through No Kid Hungry. Twelve million meals have already been donated thanks to its customers and supporters.

"I'm a big advocate for No Kid Hungry and making sure that we're on the right path to ending childhood hunger here in the States," Ayesha explained to POPSUGAR Moms. "So when Cheeky came to me to be an ambassador, obviously I have two little kids, so it was a no-brainer." Through Cheeky's products, Ayesha says it's so easy to help kids understand how their cute mealtime accessories are helping to give back and support the one in five kids in America who faces hunger.

Along with its social cause, Cheeky products are just plain fun, and fun is something Ayesha encourages when it comes to mealtimes with her family. Cheeky and Ayesha both believe that there is power in sharing a meal, so she's giving us her best tips for making mealtimes exciting for the whole family. Read through for her nine best tips.

Sit down with your kids when they eat. Even if you're not eating at the same time, being present with them so that they're not alone at the table is important.
Get your kids involved in the kitchen. Ayesha says that her kids will at least try 99.9 percent of the foods they help make with her in the kitchen.
Take your kids grocery shopping with you. OK, so grocery shopping with your kids isn't always easy, but even just including them in the grocery list process will make them feel more invested in their meals.
Use fun plates and cups. Exciting mealtime accessories like Cheeky's always get Ayesha's kids excited to eat their meal. "Something so silly and small like the cute characters on the plates gets them excited to sit at the table and eat!"
Keep your kids' cups and plates low. Ayesha keeps Riley and Ryan's things in a low cupboard so that they feel a sense of autonomy and ownership when it comes to mealtimes.
Make meal kabobs. "To us it doesn't seem that exciting, but for them, getting a stick and having them pull their fruits and veggies onto it to make a kabob is so exciting." This tactile trick makes any food seem more fun.
Trick them into thinking they're making their own choices. If all your child ever wants to eat are carbs and hot dogs, give them three healthy options and allow them to choose the one they want. Just knowing they had "the power" is enough for most kids.
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks. Snacks can be controversial because you don't want your child to fill up on Goldfish throughout the day, but putting out fruits and veggies while you cook or packing them up for being on the go has been a success for Ayesha.
Create a fun mealtime tradition — like rapping. Ayesha and Stephen rap with the girls during mealtimes about their foods and their days, which has become a tradition they look forward to every night.

In addition to her amazing tips, Ayesha answered our most burning question: who is the best at dinner-table rapping? "Riley is the best at it," she said. "Then me. Stephen is last. Ryan can't even really do it yet, but she's still better than him."