Kids and Nutrition

Ways to get kids involved in nutrition

Make eating healthy a routine, by making sure
healthy foods are involved in all family meals
Get kids involved with choosing food options,
by letting them help plan the meals and taking
them grocery shopping or to the farmer’s
market
Show kids what eating right looks like by
explaining that they should fill half their plate
with fruits and veggies that will give them
nutrients to help their body grow. The other
half should be grains and lean proteins that
will give them energy to do the activities they
love.
Educate them about the different food groups
Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad” and teach
children that all foods can have a place in their diet
to encourage a healthy relationship with food.
Talk about portion size with your children, and make
measuring portions easy. Rice or pasta portions
should be the size of their fist, protein should be the
size of their palm, and fats the size of their thumb
Eat dinner as a family. Kids who eat meals with their
family are more likely to eats fruits, veggies, and
whole grains. Make sure to make meal time a fun,
positive experience

How to get kids to try new

foods
Offer foods similar to the ones they usually
eat/like

Offer small portions

Talk about the food using descriptive words about
Get the children involved in preparing the
the color, texture, flavor, and temperature of the
foods
food
Let them get hungry before trying to serve
Don’t be too pushy/don’t pressure the child into
them new foods
eating new foods
How to have kids get involved in preparing foods
Get your child involved in meal planning/menu Below is a link that provides age appropriate tasks
making. Let them include some of their for children to help with in the kitchen:
favorite foods to get them excited
https://www.eatright.org/homefoodsafety/four-
Take your child grocery shopping with you to steps/cook/teaching-kids-to-cook
teach them about different food groups and
instill healthy eating ideas

Teach your child food/kitchen safety

practices, such as washing hands, using clean
surfaces, and keeping raw meat separate from
fruits and veggies

Assign children jobs they can do on their own

during meal preparation, such as cleaning
veggies, tearing lettuce leaves, or helping you
combine ingredients. Older children can even
prepare some of their own meals, like
sandwiches for lunch.

Encourage children to take part in cleaning up

after, like clearing the table or putting away
leftovers Have kids look through kid friendly
cookbooks in order to find recipes they enjoy,
then get them involved in making them

Invite your kid to help you in the kitchen

Ways to increase children’s

food intake
Encourage your child to eat breakfast
Have a schedule so that your child eats
regularly and at consistent times
Give your child water between meals so they
don’t fill up on juice or milk
Set up cooking activities and get children involved in
cooking foods. This may help increase their appetite
and give them a healthy relationship with food
Practice mindfulness with your child, asking them
questions like “Does your belly feel empty or full?”
This can help them realize when they’re hungry

Encourage your child to live an active

lifestyle, which will help them work up an
appetite
 Child friendly recipes
Cookingwithkids.org is a website that provides a
variety of kid friendly recipes.

MyPlate guide
MyPlate is a website that provides helpful tips and
tricks for getting children eating healthy. It also
provides interactive games and other activities that
can help get children excited about nutrition.

Links used:

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/food-smart-kids#2

https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/article?contentid=1465&language=english

https://www.eatright.org/homefoodsafety/four-steps/cook/teaching-kids-to-cook

https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/advice/picky-eating/10-simple-ways-to-help-your-toddlers-try-new-
foods/

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/browse-by-audience/view-all-audiences/children/kids

Links for pictured used:

https://ppspittcounty.org/newsletter/november-hacks-cooking-with-kids/

https://haltonparentsblog.ca/2017/03/22/a-lifetime-of-benefits-for-kids-in-the-kitchen/

https://whatsfordinner.com/kitchen-tips/keep-them-busy-10-things-kids-can-do-in-the-kitchen/