Sound familiar? “There is nothing good in this house to eat!” I hear it all the time — especially now that my kids are home everyday. So many times, I’ve just gone grocery shopping and there is all kinds of good, healthy food in the house. But according to my kids, there just isn’t any “good” food like chips, candy, pop…. It can be exasperating. So, how do we get our kids to ea
t healthy?
Here are a few ideas that might help:
1. Involve your kids in menu planning – I can already hear the moans! But seriously, having them involved helps with buy in. Set some perimeters. For example, the meal needs to include at least one vegetable. Assign them a night for their “meal” and have them help cook.
2. Cook with your kids – Getting them involved creates a sense of pride. Plus, you are teaching them a lifelong skill. And, you never know what kind of fun creation you can come up with together. Be encouraging and really play up how much they helped.
3. Make healthy food choices yourself. Model healthy behavior like dishing up your vegetables first and taking smaller portions.
4. Talk about trying to make your plate as colorful as possible. Color means nutrition and kids love color.
5. Make healthy snacks and lunches readily available. Healthy food helps kids perform better in school or on the athletic field. Fresh fruit, raw veggies and dip, and nuts make perfect snacks and are quick and easy to eat.
6. Be creative with holiday meals and treats – With Thanksgiving just around the corner, work with your kids to create fun, healthy treats. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest or the internet.