Ah, mealtime with kids, a battlefield of picky eaters! Those little munchkins can be quite the handful, fussing over utensils and giving those unfamiliar foods the stink-eye. However, a simple and fun solution can turn mealtime into a delightful experience: the joy of eating with our hands and discovering the proven benefits for kids.
Imagine the joy on their faces as they dive into their meals with their tiny fingers, exploring textures, feeling the warmth, and fully immersing themselves in the flavours. It’s a sensory extravaganza that will ignite their imaginations and turn each bite into a moment of pure delight.
Today, we’ll explore the proven benefits of this age-old tradition and how it can positively impact children’s development and relationship with food. We’ll also explore how eating with hands benefits our chakras, enhancing overall well-being.
So, let’s dive in and embrace the joy of eating with our hands!
Sensory Exploration: Enhancing the Dining Experience
Eating with their hands allows kids to engage in a sensory exploration of their food. They develop a deeper understanding of different foods by touching, feeling, and manipulating various textures.
This hands-on experience stimulates their senses, making mealtime more engaging and exciting. From squishing soft fruits to feeling the warmth of freshly baked bread, children can connect with their meals on a whole new level.
Improved Motor Skills: Developing Dexterity
Eating with utensils requires fine motor skills that young children are still developing. However, when they eat with their hands, they naturally improve their dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Picking up small pieces of food, tearing apart a sandwich, or scooping up rice with their fingers all contribute to refining their fine motor skills. These activities enhance their ability to manipulate objects, laying a solid foundation for future activities that demand precision.
Developing Independence and Confidence
Eating with their hands empowers kids and encourages independence. They gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence as they navigate their meals without relying on utensils. Parents can promote self-sufficiency and boost their child’s self-esteem by allowing them to take charge of their eating experience.
As kids grow more comfortable and proficient with this hands-on approach, they become more confident in trying new foods, which can be a big win for picky eaters!
Cultural Awareness: Embracing Traditions
Eating with hands is a common practice in many cultures around the world. By introducing this tradition to your children, you can expand their cultural awareness and foster a sense of inclusivity.
Learning about different customs and traditions promotes open-mindedness, empathy, and appreciation for diversity. It also provides an opportunity for parents to share stories and anecdotes about their own cultural backgrounds, creating meaningful connections with their heritage.
Enhanced Digestion: Promoting Mindful Eating
Believe it or not, eating with your hands can actually improve digestion! When children eat with utensils, they often rush through their meals without paying attention to what they eat.
On the other hand, eating with their hands encourages a more mindful approach to food. They become more aware of the textures, flavours, and smells of their meals, which aids in digestion. Additionally, chewing thoroughly while eating with hands can improve nutrient absorption, benefiting their overall health.
Benefits Our Chakras: Energizing the Body and Mind
Eating with our hands not only has physical and cultural advantages but also has a positive impact on our chakras. Chakras are energy centres within the body, each associated with specific qualities.
When we eat food with our hands, our fingers naturally curve in a yogic mudra, stimulating the sensory organs and maintaining the balance of prana, or life force energy.
According to Vedas, the fingertips are believed to be correlated with various chakras, including the third eye, heart, throat, solar plexus, sexual, and root chakras. By touching and handling the food, we activate these chakras, resulting in tremendous benefits for our overall well-being.
Related post: Why you should let your baby get messy eating
Wrap up
So, let’s dive into the deliciousness of Indian culture, where food takes centre stage and steals the show! Forget about those Fancy-Schmancy Western Cutlery tricks because we like to keep things down-to-earth and oh-so-tasty by using our hands to devour those mouthwatering dishes here in India.
Yes, you heard it right! It’s not just about gobbling up the grub; it’s a whole experience packed with finger-licking advantages.
So, today, unleash the culinary adventurers within your little ones, put those utensils on the shelf, roll up their sleeves, and let their taste buds go wild with the full-on flavours of food straight from their fingertips!
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Zariya Healings.
I am appalled when people eat chicken with a fork and a spoon even at home. I love eating with hand, especially at home.
What an informative post Anjali… and incredible research! My friend who teaches yoga used to tell us the benefits of eating with hands
Your post reminded me of her😊. Also, my elder daughter only n only ate with her hands when she was a toddler, so much that once at a restaurant, she ate her share of noodles with hands😆… thats when I had to put a a stop to it atleast outside🤭. Well, I don’t fret about who eats with what as long as they eat. So I eat with a spoon n fork sometimes and sometimes with my hands at home too n so do my kids… it depends on the food on the table. However, outside we always eat with spoons/forks except stuff that we need to use our hands for cuz that’s how the culture is back home and I like it that way.
I love eating with my hand I feel the food tastes all the more good. I believe eating using cutlery is good in public, however when I am with family I prefer using my hands to eat food. Nice blog.
There is no substitute for eating meals with hands and I feel it only enhances the entire eating experience.
Learning to use cutlery like a spoon too can improve the coordination and fine motor skills of babies but it will deprive them of the feel and touch of food that enhances the feeding experience so hands win hands-down.
Eating with hands is so comfortable. I actually checked how we use our fingers while eating, after reading the point on chakra energy. You are right, we do activate a lot of our sensors while using the hands. It’s a good beginning for kids.
I am 100% and always in favour of eating with hands and I wonder why these days a good population of parents still stick to use of spoons and forks and consider it classy. Whats so bad in having it with hands when our tradition says eating with hands is good for health. I feed my child with hands and will even teaching him how to use hands to have food. Thanks for this wonderful post.
We should let the children be and let them have food with their own hands. They make a mess but that doesn’t matter. Good to know that there are so many benefits of this tried and tested method.
our Indian ancestors already knew these valuable points about eating with hands. I had friends in my Christian convent school who said eating with hands gives food a better taste. Since then I have not been a fan of spoons ever in my life.
I agree with you. Toddlers who are excited to experiment with new foods in the world, get lost in the complicated usage of cutlery. Let them eat with their hands and see the progress
Every few days, I see a comment on Instagram particularly about how eating food with hands is unhygienic. Seriously!! Our ancestors have been doing that for centuries. And these people should definitely check out your post. Would shut a few of them up.
I agree with you. Eating with your hands gives you a different kind of gratification. And for kids it’s quite a learning experience too.
There’s no alternative for the feeling of eating with hands and how it satiates our hunger
Being a Bengali, eating with hands/fingers is innate. I mean the cuisine is such that it can’t be managed with a spoon! However being married in a North Indian family, they stare at me in dismay when I eat with my hands!
I didn’t know that eating with the hands activates the chakra. Thanks for the information. Another reason for using the hands to eat.
The science behind it is interesting. I never knew about it. Thank you for sharing and yes, I love having food with my hands. Especially in the comfort of my home 🙂
I guess it is the question of culture and practice of the place one is born in. Westerners mostly do not eat with their hands. Even in India, South Indian use their hands to eat most of the time compared to Indians from other parts. Whatever may be the scenario, one should be comfortable and relish the food that they eat. I have never learnt the art of eating with chopsticks and use a fork instead. We should also be accepting of others way of life as their culture may be different from ours. I know of people who make fun or express disgust at South Indians for eating with their hands, even tough they are have come to the South from other parts of India!
I have also read the benefits of eating with hands. Of course one has to ensure that they are clean 😉
I love eating with my hands. It feels like a connection with the food we eat as well as a celebration of our senses.
My son loves eating with his hands… Good to know it has so many benefits!