Awesome Eats is packed with vitamins, minerals, and plant-based fun for even the pickiest eaters.
Price: Free
Age: 2+
Non-readers will need a little guidance but all ages will enjoy playing this game.
Pros:
– Cute and kid-friendly graphics and animation
– Offers healthy eating tips
– Encourages curiosity about general wellness
Cons:
– None; this game successfully tackles a topic that is often the cause of many meal-time frustrations
I’ll just put it out there: I can put away some groceries. I love food and eating and I’ll pretty much try anything once just to add it to my roster entitled “Weird Things I Have Eaten”. Even though picky eating and young children are synonymous, I was convinced that my children would be sampling lobster ravioli in cream sauce before they learned to walk. As you can probably see where this is going, I’ll sum it up: My kids eat a combined total of 7 things, with chicken nuggets taking the lead by a landslide.
Picky eaters not only contribute to dinnertime drama, it also means that there are some nutritive gaps in the diet. Whole Foods Foundation, theorganization launched by the eponymous natural and organic grocery chain, uses this as the basis for their mission. In an effort to address the rampant childhood obesity epidemic, the non-profit uses programs and grants to provide access for children to make healthier choices. Awesome Eats is just another endeavor to try and educate families with young children how to make the best eating decisions.
The actual game is fun, simple, and addictive. Simply sort the fruits and vegetables traveling on conveyor belts and down into containers. Extra points for “stacking” two or more of the same on each other, and for each correctly sorted produce item, stars are earned. As the levels progress new and more exotic produce is introduced, prompting players to figure out if it’s actually a mango or a papaya that just flew down the belt. In between each levels there are factoids and suggestions to motivate young players to want to try healthy eating, such as the fact that green beans used to be used as currency or that fruit 
should be added to morning cereal. There are also adorable animations featuring kids gardening, sorting fruit and veggies, and making smart choices in their school cafeteria.
This free app is a fabulous way to reinforce what we parents of picky eaters are always trying to tell our kiddos. Sometimes the ideas are a little more appealing when they come from someone other than Mom or Dad, and it definitely helps that the game itself is kid-friendly. My son did want to try a strawberry after playing, just out of curiosity, and it turns out he really likes them. The brussels sprouts, however, may need a game of their own.
Details:
– 32 levels and over 50 characters
– Skill bonuses, obstacles, and surprises
-Healthy eating tips and fun facts about produce
