From a young age, there are so many ways to encourage healthy eating. The earlier you start to offer your child healthier food and ways to enjoy a balanced diet, the more likely they will follow this as they progress through their life. Today we’re going to discover seven ways to encourage healthy eating, all of which will reinforce the importance of healthy food for kids.
1. Start Cooking With Your Kids
One of the best ways to teach your kids about healthy meals is to start cooking with them at a young age. We recommend investing in a set of kid-friendly tools, which will help them to understand the importance of healthy food for kids. The more time they spend in the kitchen, and the more time they work with different ingredients, the better the chance will be that they will enjoy a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The kitchen is a great place to teach someone about calories and create well-rounded meals, which you can do in a fun and interactive manner.
2. Offer Your Child Adult Meals
While you might think your child needs to eat a special meal at a younger age, this isn’t necessarily one of the best ways to encourage healthy eating. By offering your children the same meals that you eat, they’ll learn about what they should and shouldn’t be eating early on. This will reinforce the importance of healthy food for kids and will show them new foods. You’ll also find they are more adventurous and less picky when you offer them your meals, helping to prepare them for their later years.
3. Focus on Eating the Rainbow
One of the best ways to get your children to enjoy a variety of foods is to focus on creating colorful meals. Eating the rainbow is a fun way to encourage this, as they can load their plate with fruits and vegetables. Kids love looking at different colors, and they’ll find this to be a fun way to prepare their meals. You could create fun faces made from fruit for breakfast and then a pretty piece of artwork out of vegetables for dinner time. The more colors that are on their plate, the more likely they’ll be to enjoy a healthy and nutritious meal.
4. Don’t Use Food as a Reward
It can be so tempting to reward your kids with junk food, but this isn’t a good way to encourage healthy eating. Try to keep food out of the ways you reward your children, especially in terms of using junk food or ice cream as a reward. They’ll soon think that if they behave well, they can eat whatever they like. This is where bad habits are formed from a young age, and it’s something you need to avoid as much as you can. Instead, find other ways to reward your children for their good behavior so that they know the importance of healthy food for kids.
5. Grow Food in Your Garden
Connecting with the food growing process is one of the top ways to encourage healthy eating. By growing food in your garden, your children will understand the importance of healthy food for kids. You can start by growing very simple fruits and vegetables, such as beans and tomatoes. Even if you don’t have a garden, think about growing cress in egg shells or keeping other herbs in your kitchen. When your children know where their food is coming from, they will be more likely to pick healthier food options in the future. They’ll also enjoy spending more time together as a family outdoors, which is something we should all be encouraging kids to do. Instead of spending hours in front of screens, they’ll be able to learn more about the world around them while looking after their health.
6. Retain Control Over What Your Kids Eat
Remember, as a parent, you have control over what your children eat. The importance of healthy food for kids also needs to be remembered by parents. Even on the busiest days, make sure you take the time to prepare healthy and fresh meals for your kids. While it can be tempting to order take-out or just give them something from your freezer, you don’t want to get into the habit of these lazy ways of cooking. Try to meal prep ahead of time so that you know you have healthy meals for your family to enjoy every day. Think carefully about what you put in your child’s lunch box as well, so that you have some control over what they are eating, even when they are away from you at school.
7. Keep Trying New Foods
The more adventurous your child is, the more likely they’ll be to enjoy a range of healthy foods. The importance of healthy food for kids will be understood when your child starts to enjoy a range of cuisines. If they haven’t already been introduced to Japanese, Chinese, Italian food, and other cuisines, then it’s time to start offering them something new for dinner. Head to local restaurants which offer fresh and healthy dishes, and you’ll find this will be a fun bonding experience for all of you. It’s one of the best ways to encourage healthy eating and will set your child up for years of success in the future.
As you can see, there are so many easy ways to encourage healthy eating with your children. When you start to discuss the importance of healthy food for kids at an early age, they’ll be more likely to keep eating in this way as they progress through their teenage and adult years. It’s never too late to make a change to your family’s diet, and we’ll be here to support you with cooking and introducing your children to the kitchen. Our range of kid-friendly tools is a great way to teach your child more about eating well, and it will make learning about food far more interactive and fun for them in the future.
