Healthy Eating Actvities For Young Children

Engage young children in activities that promote healthy eating. Habits established early in life can help them develop a healthy lifestyle as they grow. Learning healthy eating habits can be fun if approached in a relaxed and fun manner. Show them the value of healthy eating habits by being a good example.

Little Chef

• Children enjoy eating food they helped prepare.

  Give your little chef his own apron to hang in the kitchen. When it is food prep time, let him stand on a step stool. If he is able, let him try using a popsicle stick to "cut" bananas while mom cuts vegetables for dinner. Helping prepare healthy food will make it more attractive to his palate.

Healthy Choices

• Heap a platter with nutritious food choices for the picky eater.

  If your child is very selective about what to eat, give him several healthy choices. Pile a small platter or plate with a variety of healthy foods. Include finger foods such as apple slices, grapes, strawberries, whole-grain crackers, soft cheese and peanut butter spread on toast triangles. The goal is to provide a healthy variety, while allowing her to make her own choices.

Play With Your Food

• Help a child make fun associations with healthy foods by making pictures on their plate.

  Toast a piece of whole-grain bread. Spread with a natural peanut or almond butter. Use dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, pineapple and apricots to make a smiley face or letter of the alphabet. This will help a child make fun connections with healthy foods.

Tasting Party

• Have weekly tasting parties to sample new foods.

  Assign one day a week for a tasting party. Introduce two or three new taste sensations at a time. Try goat cheese spread on crackers, fresh guacamole with whole grain corn chips, star fruit speared on a toothpick with grapes and banana wheels. Allow them to try it without commitment. A taste may be enough for now. On the other hand, they may discover an affinity for something new.

Baking Day

• Children learn to enjoy healthy baked treats that they helped create.

  Bake healthy breads and cookies together. A child old enough to stand on a chair next to Mom in the kitchen can help measure flour and sugar. Don't expect him to maintain a long attention span at a young age. He may end up playing while you finish the baking. Give him his own lump of bread or pizza dough to knead. The sensory delight of playing with dough is appealing for young children.

Warnings

• Use caution when introducing new foods, and follow standard safety precautions in the kitchen.

  Many healthy foods such as peanut butter and nuts are highly allergenic. Be careful of introducing a small child to new foods until you are sure of their allergies. Be aware of choking hazards such as nuts for children under the age of 3. Always use caution when cooking with children. Safety always takes priority.