Involve Your Kids in Healthy Eating: Fun Tips and Tricks

Let’s be real: being a parent nowadays is tricky business. 

We’ve got a gazillion things to think about when it comes to our kids’ emotional well-being and physical health. Add to this the constant worry of school grades, play dates, extracurricular activities and, of course, getting them to eat their veggies – it’s no wonder parents are shattered by the end of the day.

But let’s be honest, convincing our kids that a plate full of broccoli or colourful peppers is as exciting as the latest video game can be a daily struggle. That’s where we parents come in – to educate our kids about the importance of a balanced diet packed with fruits, veggies, whole grains and all that other good stuff.

Getting our kids involved in meal prep and cooking is a surefire way to promote healthy eating habits, turning this once daunting task into a fun and engaging experience. 

The best part? We’ve got all the tips and tricks you need in this article. 

Benefits Of Involving Children In Food Choices

To put it bluntly, the fight for healthy eating habits is a marathon – not a sprint. And getting your kids involved in food choices is the secret weapon in this battle. It’s not just about getting them to eat their greens (although, this is definitely a win!), it’s also about setting them up for lifelong success.

Here’s why getting your kids involved is a total game-changer:

• Improved dietary habits: When kids have a say in what’s for lunch or dinner, they may be more willing to try out new foods.
• Nutrition 101: Explaining why certain foods are good for our kids doesn’t need to be a lecture or a biology lesson. By involving our children in food choices, we can subtly teach them about the different food groups and the benefits they offer – plus you get to eat the samples!
• Little chefs; tasty future: Exposing kids to the kitchen early on is a recipe for success. Not only does it teach them invaluable life skills like independence and how to follow instructions, but it might even spark a lifelong love of cooking. Who knows, you may be raising the next Gordon Ramsay!
• Happy and Healthy: Eating a balanced diet and getting enough exercise reduces our children’s risk of developing obesity, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and type 2 diabetes. To put this into perspective, studies show that 26.6% of Year 6 children in the North East are classed as obese.

So, ditch the stress and embrace the (kitchen) mess! Getting kids involved in food choices is a win for everyone!

Promoting Healthy Choices

Right, so you’ve sparked your kiddo’s inner chef and they’re picking ingredients and whipping up creations like nobody’s business. Bravo!

But those homemade choc-chip pancakes smothered in berries, syrup, cream and icing sugar are more of a treat, and, before you know it, every meal becomes a dessert buffet! While parents can appreciate this newfound hobby, we must ensure these creations are packed with nutritional goodness. 

Here’s how:

Educate kids about the different food groups

Educating our kids about the different food groups and what they do for our bodies sets them up for success. Understanding the roles of macro & micronutrients: carbs, proteins, and fats; vitamins and minerals – lays the foundation for a balanced and varied diet. 

Macronutrients fulfil different bodily functions; protein helps build and repair cells like muscle, carbohydrates provide energy for the body, fat contributes to hormone production and fibre regulates digestion. On the other hand, micronutrients when consumed from a wide range of sources provide the ‘feel good’ factor, boost immunity and improve general wellbeing.

We must teach our kids the importance of fueling our bodies with enough energy to tackle the day, and to keep saturated fats and refined sugars (sweets, cakes, pastries, fizzy drinks, etc.) to a minimum. Plates should be filled with 50% fruit/vegetables, 25% carbs and 25% protein. 

We can allow our children to have a small daily treat, to prevent an overly restricted diet and curb binge eating – once all other meals and healthy foods have been eaten, of course.

Here’s a rundown of the main food groups:

Food Group	Macronutrient Group	Examples	Function
Starchy carbohydrates	Carbohydrates (complex) & fibre	Potato, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa,	Provides energy
Proteins	Protein	Chicken, ground beef, ham,  fillet, fish, eggs, lentils	Builds and repairs muscles
Dairy products	Protein, fat & carbohydrates (simple)	Milk, cheese, yoghurt	Strong bones and teeth
Fruits and veggies	Carbohydrates (simple & complex) & fibre	Pears, oranges, watermelon, grapes, berries, spinach, carrots, peas	Provides vitamins and minerals (micronutrients)
Oils, fats and sugars	Fat & carbohydrates (simple)	Olive oil, avocado, nuts, cakes, pastries, biscuits	Helps the body absorb vitamins and generate hormones

As we said, ditch the biology lecture and turn healthy food learning into an enjoyable experience. 

For little ones, explain how carrots can help them see in the dark, or how whole grains provide energy to jump about the playground.

Older kids also need the food group rundown, but approach this in a more age-appropriate way, like explaining the concept of “calories in vs calories out” to maintain a healthy weight.

Lead by example

Kids are like tiny sponges, soaking up their parents’ behaviour. So, if you want them to embrace healthy choices, you’ve got to walk the walk too! Fill your plate with a variety of colourful fruits and veggies, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new recipes yourself. 

Remember, mealtimes are a chance to connect with our youngsters – it’s not a battleground!

Mealtimes 

Make mealtimes a stress-free zone where everyone feels comfortable trying new things. Sit together as a family at mealtimes whenever possible. Pack away the electronics, turn on some fun music and chat about each other’s day. Creating a relaxed and positive atmosphere also allows [kids to open up about their feelings] and builds stronger family ties.

The more enjoyable mealtimes are, the more likely your kids associate healthy food with positive experiences. 

Parent Tip: Getting Kids On The Healthy Eating Bandwagon

So, how can we get our children on the healthy eating gravy train? 

We’re so glad you asked!

Here are a few additional tips:

Meal planning and grocery shopping

• Involve your children in choosing recipes and ingredients for meals. There are loads of YouTube tutorials and Instagram reels to spark some inspiration – have you seen the latest TikTok trend? Who knew blending cottage cheese would be such a big thing?
• Use grocery trips as a learning tool, explaining the differences between food groups. Encourage your kids to make smarter food choices, like swapping pastries for yoghurt pots or opting for sparkling mineral water over fizzy drinks.

Cook together

• Turn cooking into a game or a creative activity where the whole family gets involved. For instance, make your own pizza dough for Friday night pizza evenings, have a build-a-burger station where everyone can pick and choose their own toppings, or re-enact Ainsley Harriott’s Ready, Steady, Cook!
• Take the opportunity to teach basic cooking skills like chopping, peeling and measuring when it comes to preparing dinner. These invaluable skills are pivotal for our children’s development.

Making food fun

• Use food art to make meals more attractive and appealing, like cutting fruits and vegetables into cute shapes or using cookie cutters to punch out sandwiches.
• Starting a veggie or herb garden is another brilliant way to excite kids about food and cooking. Nothing quite beats a spicy tomato pasta with homegrown tomatoes, basil and chilis.

Expert Insights: Kids And Healthy Eating

If you need a little more convincing on why it’s so important for parents to encourage healthy eating habits, here’s what Dr Laura Bardon, from the Quadram Institute, had to say: 

“​​Helping children get the nutrition they need is important. It can help to create healthy dietary habits, instil positive lifelong food preferences and help children maintain a healthy weight throughout their lives. This can also help to avoid the development of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in later life.”

Bardon encourages parents to help children get the nutrition they need for their growth and development from a balanced diet. Here are her suggestions:

• Fizzy drinks offer no nutritional benefit to kids (or adults!) and can be detrimental to their teeth and overall health.
• Parents should focus on increasing the amount of fibre in their children’s diet. Fibre, found in wholegrain carbohydrates, is a source of slow-release energy and keeps their tummies regular.
• Vitamin D, affectionately called the “sunshine vitamin”, is important for healthy bone and teeth development and helps the body absorb calcium. Parents should consider vitamin D supplements in the darker months to ensure kids are getting a sufficient supply.
• Children must eat at least five portions of fruits and veggies every single day. Persistence is key, especially with picky eaters.
• Include two servings of oily fish (salmon, tuna, anchovy) in kids’ diets each week to up their intake of omega-3s – brilliant for brain development!
• Make sure children are drinking at least eight glasses of water daily.

As you can see, explaining the concept of healthy eating and getting kids involved with meal prep is an important factor for instilling lifelong healthy eating habits. While this may feel like an uphill battle at times, we need to be consistent if we want our kids to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

The Conversation Continues

Having explored the different avenues of getting kids involved in healthy eating, which tip did you enjoy best? Will you spark their inner chef and allow them to cook dinner for the family? Or perhaps you’ll take them on the next grocery store trip? 

Either way, remember you’re not going to get this right the first time around, so we encourage you to be patient and consistent. Start small and build these healthy habits over time, and before you know it, your kids will be making better food choices like champs!

Join the discussion and pop any of your own tips and tricks into the comments section below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

We’d love to hear what you think…