Written by Karen Roth, MSNC
Karen is a Certified Nutrition Consultant with a Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrition. She enjoys sharing her knowledge to empower her clients to take control of their health with food and lifestyle choices.
Encouraging kids to love healthy foods can be fun and rewarding. Nutritious foods can be made to feel exciting, and a little bit adventurous. Let’s look at some strategies to get kids hooked on nutritious foods.
Introduce new foods slowly. When introducing a new healthy food, pair it with a familiar favorite food. For example, pair asparagus for the first time, with their favorite protein or grain. Don’t force it but allow them to discover it slowly and leave it up to them to try it.
Kids are drawn to colorful visually appealing foods. Make healthy meals exciting with vibrant colored fruits and vegetables. Try cutting vegetables into fun shapes or arranging the food into interesting patterns or faces. The more fun and creative the meal looks, the more likely they will want to try it.
Get them involved in cooking. Let them wash, peel, or mix ingredients. Involving them in the process gives them a sense of ownership of their own food.
Offer healthy snacks like fruits and veggies with dips and crunchy granola with nuts, seeds and raisins. If these snacks are easily available and around all the time, they’ll be more likely to see them as the norm.
Add healthy foods to meals they already like. For example, add spinach to a cheese quesadilla, make a smoothie with added fruit with vibrant colors like raspberries, or top a bowl of cereal with nuts and berries.
Use positive reinforcement. Praise them for trying new foods, even if it’s just a small bit. Positive reinforcement can make them feel proud and motivate them to continue eating healthy foods for the long term.
Don’t completely limit junk food. This can lead to resistance. Instead, limit its availability and make it a rare treat.
Lead by example. Children often follow their parents’ behaviors. Make sure you’re eating nutritious foods and when they see you enjoying these foods, they’re more likely to try them.
Make eating together as a family activity whenever possible. Sitting down to a meal is not only about the food, but the conversations about the food along with what happened during the day. It can also help kids associate mealtime with positive social moments.
Be patient. Building healthy eating habits takes time. Start early when children are young, and don’t be discouraged by initial rejections. Sometimes, it can take several attempts before a child starts to enjoy a new food. Keep offering, without pressure, and celebrate the small victories.