Tips for Parents and Caregivers: How To Get Kids Excited About Nutrition

• Check out resources like MyPlate for what a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and dairy/dairy alternatives can look like. 
• Cut fruits and vegetables into fun shapes. 
• Explain the benefits of each food group and how they contribute to overall health and growth.  
• Help kids learn their colors by telling you which ones are on their plate. 
• Make a wall chart and have kids put a sticker by each color they ate that day. 
• Make up silly songs about a new fruit or vegetable. 
• Have children pick out and weigh the fruits and vegetables purchased at the grocery store. 
• Ask children to help pick out the recipe to make.  
• Incorporate taste tests of the fruits and vegetables used to make a meal. 
• Look for chef demonstrations at a farmer’s market. 
• Build a garden and help your child plant seeds to watch the food grow. 
• Here is an example of a scavenger hunt you could do at the grocery store or a farmer’s market.
  • Scavenger Hunt: 
    • Name two varieties of melons 
    • Find 2 fruits or vegetables that are bigger than your fist 
    • Find 3 green vegetables 
    • How many different colored berries can you find 
    • How many different colors of potatoes can you find 
    • Name a vegetable you have never seen or heard of  
    • What is your favorite fruit at the market today 
    • Name 2 different types of squash 
    • Find a fruit that is: 
      • Red 
      • Orange 
      • Yellow  
      • Green 
      • Blue 
      • Purple 
      • Brown 
      • Fuzzy 
      • Bumpy 
      • Smaller than your hand 
      • Bigger than your hand 
      • Smooth 
      • Soft  
      • Hard 

Raising a Healthy Eater

In the parenting journey, teaching your child healthy eating habits can sometimes feel like a challenge, especially when there are so many food options. Below are some tips to help you get started. Remember to encourage, not force, healthy eating habits, and celebrate the small victories your child makes along the way.  

• Children thrive on routine. Follow a regular meal and snack schedule so kids know what to expect.  
  • Offer foods in different ways, such as roasted vs steamed vs raw. 
• Let kids learn by serving themselves. 
  • Respect their fullness by teaching, “Your body knows how much you need to eat.” 
• Patience works better than pressure. 
  • Give children repeated neutral exposures to unfamiliar foods rather than persuading them to eat them. 
• Let kids help in the kitchen. 
  • This can help support them in trying new foods 
  • Name the dish they help with, like “Sara’s Salad,” and praise them for their help 
  • Use foods to learn about math, science, culture and history.  
• Set a positive example.  
  • Children often copy the behaviors of adults around them, so it is important to model healthy eating habits for themselves.  
  • Let your child see you and other family members eating and enjoying many nourishing foods. 
  • Don’t talk negatively about yourself.  
  • As parents/caregivers, we may bring our phones to the table so we can multi-task, but during this time, it is important to turn off screens and focus on your child.