Mothering Mandalas: An artistic way to engage children in healthy eating

By Sidonie Maroon, abluedotkitchen

When my son was young, I made snack mandalas. I’d artistically arrange vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, nuts and seeds on a large platter. We’d delight in the art, and then eat them while listening to audio books.

He soon started making them for me. Whenever I needed a snack, he’d hurry off to the kitchen and return with a composition in color and form. This went on for years and even though he’s an adult in his twenties, we still arrange snack mandalas.

I’ve shown many families how to make them in my classes and camps. I combine food and art so it wasn’t a stretch. For posh chefs it’s called plating, and they have squirt bottles to make drops and dribbles of colored vegetable sauces and fruit syrups. They’re also creating art and playing with their food, but for the big bucks.

Our mandala snacks developed as more people added their creativity. Some artists even went vertical and built up the centers of the mandalas. I’m sharing this art and food ritual, because it’s simple, you eat the ingredients and it teaches an important value: bring beauty to everything. Even without kids, it’s a creative outlet whenever you make a snack. It adds a touch of — I care.

Edible materials—so many options!

Carrots: thin peels, matchsticks, rounds, diagonal cuts

Celery: thin strips

Cherry Tomato halves or quarters

Cucumbers: slices and half moons

Sprouts

Kiwi

Red peppers

Red cabbage

All kinds of berries, especially blueberries

Apples: slices. Dip in lemon to keep from browning.

Any dried fruits will work well. I especially like dates, raisins and prunes

Cheeses, egg slices, olives, croutons and cold cuts are fabulous, especially rolled or cut into shapes

Compositional Tips

● Small cookie cutters used for bento boxes are good to cut out special shapes.

● Work on a round dinner plate for a traditional mandala. Platters create an ample canvas.

● Work from the middle outwards

● Base the design on multiples of a number (2,4,6,12) or odd sequences (3,5,7,9)

● Work color into the design. Eat your rainbow.

● Have fun!

Art Food and Children

● Model designing beautiful food mandalas. You don’t have to ask them if they want to get involved. They will, when they feel and see your enjoyment.

● Talk out loud as you make your patterns: I’m working in threes and sixes. I think I’ll add a row of blueberries as a border. Look! My mandala is symmetrical. As you talk, you’re building a design vocabulary and exploring techniques with them.

● Encourage them to show you the cool ideas they’ve come up with.

● Admire each other’s work, but don’t get “praisy”. In teaching art, I never praise, because it’s a form of judgement. I ask questions, tell them how it makes me feel, or show delight, but I never say “You are such a wonderful artist!” I don’t want to encourage the idea that they’re a good or bad artist. They just do art, sometimes it works for them, sometimes not, and then they make changes. It’s about the process, not the product.

● Take a picture to document the mandala, enjoy together later, and then eat it.

● For small children: have pre-cut shapes to arrange. Arrange together, or make separate ones side by side. Keep it fun and simple. Celebrate making and eating.

● For older children: let them cut, shape, design, present... and do the same for them. Build an atmosphere and rich environment where the family appreciates beautiful food.

● Enjoy your edible feasts!

Maybe they’ll make you Mothering Mandalas all year long!

Mother’s Day Sauce

makes 1 cup

Perfect for poached eggs, or as a Mothering Mandala dip

It’s halfway between a Hollandaise and a Mayonnaise.

2 egg yolks

½ cup melted unsalted cultured butter

½ cup avocado oil

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish sauce

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon each caraway and dill seed, ground together

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon Maldon flake salt

pinch of cayenne

In a food processor: add all the ingredients, except the butter/oil, and pulse. Combine the oil and melted butter together in a liquid measuring cup. In a continuous thin stream, pour them slowly through the food processor’s feed tube, while the machine runs. The sauce will thicken before the last of the oil/butter is added, but continue pouring until all of the oil/butter’s used. The sauce will resemble mayonnaise and is delicious, but refrigerated, it becomes semi solid and spreadable.