Raising kids who love Jewish food can feel like a full-time job. And let me tell you, in my house the culinary Jewish favorites list is very short: matzah balls, matzah, and maybe charoset once a year, that’s pretty much it. Everything else, like gefilte fish and kugel, are a hard pass from my girls. (I guess it doesn’t help that I don’t love it either.) The only other acceptable Jewish delicacy is apples and honey, which, if I am being honest, is more of a snack than a main course.

But for some reason I still try. 

Every holiday, I set the table, cook the dishes, and hope that this is the year that maybe my girls will take a bite of something other than the obligatory matzah ball and like it. 

To be fair, my kids are healthy eaters overall, but with their food allergies and aversions, it’s not exactly easy to win them over. Add to that the fact that, unlike my husband, I’m not a huge fan of traditional Jewish food myself, and you can see the challenge. He loves cholent, chopped liver, kishke, basically all the things I would never cook, eat, or even want to look at.

Here’s what I’ve learned about trying to make Jewish food kid friendly.

1. Presentation is Everything

Kids eat with their eyes first. A big blob of kugel on a plate is instant rejection. But a golden slice with a little sprinkling of cinnamon and a side of fruit? Curiosity wins over caution. Matzah balls are an easy sell. They look soft, fluffy, and just begging to be eaten. Most other dishes, you have to get creative.

2. Give Them a Role

Kids are more likely to eat what they helped make. My girls love to cook and bake with me for holidays and parties. If they roll, or even just sprinkle, they feel invested. Plus, they get to do taste tests and suddenly it’s their creation. Or at least, in theory.

3. Sneak It In

This is the ninja move of Jewish parenting, or just parenting in general. Carrot shreds in kugel, onions inside the soup, and a little sweetener to balance bitter flavors. You’re not cheating, you’re reintroducing flavors slowly so that you can tell them after what they ate and liked. 

4. Briber

I’ll admit it, bribery works. Not always with candy, sometimes it’s dessert, sometimes it’s extra internet time or TV time. “Try a bite of kugel, and you can get 30 more minutes of Roblox work more often than I’d like to admit. Honestly, that’s parenting in a nutshell: negotiation, creativity, and a little bit of trickery. Now, I don’t personally love bribery. I lean more toward negotiation (the lawyer in me), but for many parents, this tactic works wonders. 

5. Keep Perspective

At the end of the day, it’s okay if your child only loves matzah balls. They will grow, tastes will change, and maybe one day they’ll appreciate the full range of Jewish cuisine. When I was a child, I didn’t like half the foods I now enjoy. I mean, who would have ever thought raw fish would be a staple in my adult diet? Not me. Chances are, someday my girls will surprise me with what they eat. 

I like to remind everyone that in my house, the holidays are not just about eating, they are about family, tradition, and the memories made around the table.

So while my kids may politely decline gefilte fish and kugel, they’ll happily eat matzah balls, dip apples in honey, and join in the holiday chaos. And that’s enough for me. Because teaching a love for Jewish food isn’t just about what they eat, it’s about creating traditions they’ll remember and carry with them.

Matzah balls today, maybe brisket tomorrow, but who am I kidding? I don’t eat it either.