Encouraging kids to be more healthy eaters can be a struggle, particularly when it comes to eating vegetables. As soon as children realize you have an agenda, they’ll be on to you! So forget about the end result, and focus on making it fun and educational each day.

With these sure fire healthy guidelines, food choices and mealtime can be an adventure for the whole family. The goal is to eat foods that naturally represent all of the colors of the rainbow (and Fruit Loops don’t count!). Foods that come from a plant (the green kind, not the manufacturing kind).

• Shop together I have my two girls, 11 and 13, pick the vegetables they are willing to try. I find out more about their likes/dislikes and get some quality time together. Make sure to let your children be your guide through the produce section. Sky’s the limit as long as your cart reflects that rainbow of color!

Bring home healthy food and leave the indulgences behind. Make the hard choices once at the grocery store so that you aren’t faced with making them every time you open your cupboard. Don’t worry, you’ll always find an opportunity for a treat!

• Serve family style I let my kids serve themselves. As a mother, it is hard to resist large servings for my not-so- little ones. Even if they take only a one-bite serving, kids will be more likely to eat it and return for more if they’re in control of their own choices.
• Wrap it up! Trying new veggies can be fun when you serve them in a fun vehicle. For my kids I use tacos, burritos, summer-roll wrappers…they are all creative ways to make mealtime simple, fun and nutritious. I put everything out on the table and let them make their own; kids enjoy the freedom to rein over their food! You’d be surprised what veggies kids will try when they’re wrapped up with a little bit of pesto, hummus or peanut sauce!
• Incorporate new veggies into the foods they already love. Adding one new vegetable to a soup, lasagna or salad is a great way to introduce new tastes in a way that is not overwhelming. A little kale added to a spinach lasagna, grated broccoli stem tossed in with coleslaw, or chopped bok choy tossed in with your salad greens can yield nutritious and delicious results!
• Plant a family garden. Not only is it a good way to spend time together, but gardening teaches kids first hand about clean food that’s minimally processed and has maximum nutrition. From selecting and planting the seeds, to watering, weeding and eventually harvesting, gardens make us invested and connected to our food and kids are more likely to at least taste the fruitsof their labor! My girls are more apt to cook and eat veggies they grow outback then in the store!

In the end, children will learn much more about healthy eating from what we do than what we say. Model the choices you’d like them to make, keep an abundance of healthy food in your refrigerator and pantry so there are not a lot of unhealthy traps and temptations, and enjoy sharing your meals and mealtime.

Keep it fun, honor their likes and dislikes. I make sure to involve my girls in the process so that they’re learning about good nutrition and are empowered to make healthy choices.

For more tasty tips and tricks to make your family a healthier one visit my site at terrywalters.net. You can also pick up a copy of my book CLEAN START online and in your local Barnes and Noble!

Written by Terry Walters

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