Share some ideas on how to set healthy examples for kids, teach them about health, and get them excited about nutrition.
Hello friends! How’s your week going? Things have been chaotic here, between the girls’ dance competitions, school events, and of course, having fun whenever we can. When you have a hectic schedule and active kids, it’s even more important to teach kids healthy eating habits.
For today’s post, I’m answering a reader’s request about teaching kids about nutrition and setting a healthy example for kids as they grow up. Please note, while I am a certified personal trainer, women’s fitness specialist, Integrative Health Practitioner and P1 Nutrition Coach, I am not a doctor or registered dietitian. Regardless, it was important to me to be a role model for my children and teach them healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. In today’s post, I’m sharing some of the things that have helped us, and as always, I love to hear what you think too!
How to teach children about nutrition
Show, don’t tell
This is my #1 tip and I could probably end this post here. Much of what children know about nutrition, they have learned by watching us and how we eat, plan our meals and shop. I don’t have to “tell” them anything. Children are little sponges and are always absorbing information from the world around them. Make sure you are a good role model.
I love that our kids are adventurous eaters who seem to enjoy food as much as we do. They’re not picky and will try anything, and while everyone has a huge sweet tooth (so do I!), they also enjoy a variety of foods, including lots of fresh produce, protein, healthy fats and nutrient-dense starches. One of my biggest nutrition goals for the girls was to teach them balance, which they can only learn if I model it.. I’ll have a giant salad, but I’ll also have a cupcake, ice cream, or some peanut butter cookies with them, and it’s not a big deal. We order Domino’s pizza (they love it) and get donuts every week. I never want anything to be *weird* or off-limits, and they know we focus on healthy foods like colorful, fresh from the earth, but we also have room for the soul-hugging stuff in there.
(Their favorite snack: smoked oysters and skinless/boneless sardines. They eat them straight out of the can.)
This can be difficult if you grew up with a difficult relationship with food, but remember that children are always watching. Enjoy guilt-free treatments and don’t talk about how food affects your physical appearance. Instead of talking about foods as good or bad, you can say things like, “I’m going to have so much energy after this salad,” or “soup always makes me feel better when I’m under the weather.” Or, you could also say nothing. I find that whatever I eat, the girls want to eat too. I will often make my portions larger because I know at least half will be “tasted”.
Eat the rainbow
I don’t think kids *need* to know the vitamin, mineral or macro balance of their foods. Instead, they can focus on eating the rainbow. You can ask them, “Hey, did you have anything green yet today? Do you want salad, broccoli or zucchini for dinner?” (Healthy food choices like this are a win-win) “How many colors of the rainbow can we put on our plate for lunch?”
This is a great way to encourage younger children to eat foods from different food groups without making it feel like a chore, and an easy way to encourage good nutrition for older children.
Having a small garden has encouraged them to try new things. Our kids love going outside to pick carrots, peppers, salad greens and melons. Not only is it convenient at meal times, but our garden has changed the game when it comes to healthy snacks!
Give them freedom within parameters
So if I know they’ve already had more sugar during the day (like a boba tea AND an ice cream at the pool), I’ll give them some more nutrient dense options for other meals. “Hey, do you want chicken or fish tonight?” “What vegetables or fruits do you want with your meal?” The girls know that for each meal they will get a few solids: a protein, a starch, a healthy fat, and always a fruit or vegetable (usually with both lunch and dinner). I hope that by setting up our meals this way, they will innately know how to balance a plate when they grow up.
Let them go shopping with you and choose new product options
This is definitely the most fun! Every time we go to the grocery store or do an online order, I let the girls pick out a new fruit or vegetable. They often surprise me with their choices and we’ve been able to discover new things that way. This gets them excited to try these new options and I find it keeps us away from the monotony of having the same fruits and vegetables in our rotation. It’s also fun to take them to the farmers market and pick out some new finds that look exciting to them.
Participate in the cooking process
Kids are ALWAYS more excited to eat when they’ve helped prepare the meal. For our dinners, I try to find age-appropriate ways to let them help, whether it’s peeling carrots, putting together a salad kit (P can do everything from start to finish), washing and seasoning vegetables, harvesting herbs or greens from the garden, measuring ingredients or chopping (supervised at all times, cf.). Cooking with them usually takes a little longer, but it’s worth it. I want them to enjoy cooking and it’s another way we can enjoy time together. If you’re looking for a kid-friendly cookbook, girls LOVE this. (Liv recently told me it’s “too easy” for her, so we’re looking for a new one!)
So tell me, friends: what habits are you trying to instill in your children as they grow up? What are some resources that have helped you?
How do you involve children in the cooking process?
ho ho
Gina
