10 Fun Ways to Get Young Children
to Eat Healthier Published
2-2006
March is National
Nutrition Month
10 Fun Ways
to Get Young Children to Eat Healthier
Parents and caregivers have the sole responsibility to introduce
healthy food choices to young children. Children learn from the meals
you offer, the way you serve food, the way you shop, and the examples
you set. They develop habits
early that, once learned, can last a lifetime, so it’s never too early
to make a change. It’s important to take every opportunity to promote
a healthy active lifestyle. Try these ten creative ways to get young
children to eat healthier.
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Prepare Healthy Meals Together
Engaging children in the preparation
of kid-friendly healthy dishes is so fun and so very messy, but
children are more likely to eat something that they have helped to
prepare. So, bring out those bowls, spoons and cups. While kids are
helping, it is a good time to introduce portions, simple fractions and
units of measure.
When you are finished preparing, show
children how to set the table. Don’t forget to dine together. Children
who eat meals with their families tend to have better diets, not just
because meals are planned, but because of the positive examples that
are set at the table.
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Get Creative
Make silly food faces out of fresh
fruit and vegetable slices, and come up with amusing, silly names for
the healthy foods you prepare. Celery and raisins become “ants on a
log,” peanut butter and pretzels can be “mud on a stick,” and
spaghetti with tomato sauce can turn into “wiggly worms.”
The golden word is “distraction.” The
apple wedge is a boat, and their mouth is a river. Peas are a food
made out of green. You can become a consummate actor or a verbal
Picasso to get them to taste something new.
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Pack Snacks Together
Children can also benefit from packing
snacks for the day, or packing for a picnic. When planning a
long-term getaway, encourage them to help with bagging individual
portions of fruits, chilled veggies, cheese sticks, crackers, trail
mix, water, 100% juice boxes, and other good choices. These are the
images they will carry with them throughout their day.
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Take Children Shopping
Young kids love to play grown-up. On a
real excursion to the grocery store, allow the children to pick a new
fruit or vegetable to try at home. Let them weigh their choice, bag
it, and put it on the conveyor belt. Once home, let them help you
present it to the family. Try to avoid flying through each aisle like
a secret agent on a mission. Slow down and turn shopping into a
learning experience.
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Plan a Family Taste Test
Slice a variety of apples such as,
Fuji, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and McIntosh. Set out a variety of
breads such as Sourdough, Rye, Potato, Whole Wheat, Pita, and
Tortilla. After each taste test, compare the various textures and
characteristics while you talk about your favorites. A great time to
do this without spending a great deal of money is during dinner at a
buffet.
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Show Kids How to Grow Food
Many local growers are happy to share
the farming experience with young children if you call ahead of time.
Take a trip to your local farmer’s market where you will often find
fun activities for kids. Children are more likely to eat fruit or
vegetables that they have grown and picked themselves. Use a planter,
or assign a small piece of your yard to start your own private garden.
You can begin with tomatoes and build from there.
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Sing and Dance to Good Food Songs
Find songs with lyrics that promote
healthy eating and an active lifestyle. If you can’t find music in
your local retail store, there are some great offerings available for
young children online. Music CDs like “Smart & Tasty, “Bon Appetite,”
“Groovin’ Foods,” or “Smart Fruit & Veggie Songs,” can be found with a
simple internet search. Be prepared to pass the potato, count the
bananas, scissor kick your celery sticks, interact with your children,
have fun, and basically act like a fool. If you don’t have access to
music, make up silly, rhyming rhythmic chants about new foods.
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Explore Healthy Foods Through Books
Find coloring books or read books that
introduce fruits and vegetables as characters, or have interesting
stories that revolve around healthy foods. Books such as “I Will Not
Ever Eat a Tomato,” “Counting Pumpkins,” “The Very Hungry
Caterpillar,” “Food for Thought,” and “Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and
Vegetables from A to Z” make for some great fun and educational
reading. A quick and easy resource for
nutrition and
health education books for children is www.neatsolutions.com.
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Plan a Craft Activity
Let your child design something
artistic such as a paper craft that can be proudly displayed on the
refrigerator, pasta art on a plate, or a personalized placemat that
can be laminated for repeated use. Some web pages offer free
downloadable or printable activities that engage children. Search for
your favorites or visit www.5aday.org, www.dole5aday.com, and
www.nutritionexplorations.org
for some interesting offerings.
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Play Fun Games That Involve Healthy
Eating
Children who have fun with healthy
foods are more likely to want to taste them. Instead of “Duck, Duck,
Goose,” play “Grape, Grape, Juice.” Play target practice by tossing
play foods into grocery paper bags. Let your children select from
their play food and serve you a nutritious meal.
Play verbal “I spy a color” games and
board games that promote healthy eating and educate young children
about good food choices. The Produce for Better Health Foundation at
www.5aDay.org offers “The Fruit and Veggie Race” board game for all
ages.
* Empower your young children to be
agents of change in and away from home. They will not only eat better,
they will inspire others to do the same.
Angela Russ is a mother, artist, educational trainer,
and award-winning producer of music for young children. She presents
music & movement to teachers nationwide, is a member of the Recording
Academy, and is sole owner of the Russ InVision record label. For
more information on Angela and her workshops and accomplishments visit
www.abridgeclub.com.
© 2006, Russ InVision. All rights reserved.
children's music
preschool music
