As a parent, one of the greatest lessons you can instill in your child is how to eat healthily. Fruits and vegetables are important for all of us, and kids are no exception! Read our five ways you can encourage your child to eat more fruits and vegetables!
Start at an Early Age
Like most habits, learning at a young age increases your chances of success in mastering that skill. When you teach your children how to make healthy choices in the kitchen, you’re preparing them for a healthier future. Exposing children to various fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to broaden your child’s pallet while exposing them to nutritious ingredients.
Introduce Fruits and Vegetables with Familiar Foods
Serving fruits and vegetables with a familiar food can help ease the tension of trying unknown food. Next time you make chicken nuggets or mac n cheese, put a side of raw or cooked carrots to go along the meal. Some children like crunchy, raw vegetables while others prefer soft! You can also give kids dressing or dips to use when eating vegetables as a way to help ease them into trying new foods!
Get Kids Involved in the Process
Next time you go to the grocery store, ask your little one for help! This can be a great opportunity for your child to go through fruits and vegetables that look appealing and allows them to become familiar with new foods they might not have tried yet. When you get home, have your child help you by washing the fruits and vegetables they helped pick out. Children are more likely to eat food they help prepare!
Be a Healthy Role Model
When you sit down and eat fruits and vegetables, your children are more likely to copy this habit. Kids often model behavior that they see so this is a great excuse to eat more fruits and veggies! Teach them the importance of eating healthy and explain why eating fruits and vegetables are important. If they understand why it's healthy, they’ll be more prone to eat it!
Eat as a Family
When you sit down and eat as a family, you tend to eat healthier. Planning your meals out ahead of time and sitting down together will most likely lead to a healthier meal compared to eating separately. Not sure how to make time for dinner each night? Pick the same time to eat dinner every night so your family can get into a routine of sitting down and eating nutritious food together on a consistent basis.
