Ten Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Healthier

 

1. Get kids involved in making their own healthy treats. Kids are more apt to try new foods they've made themselves. Following the simple recipes in 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, parents and kids can make healthy pizzas, omelets, sports bars, and more.

2. Here's a simple way to teach children to eat well by following the food pyramid. Have kids cut out pictures of different kinds of foods (meats, fruits, vegetables, etc.) and paste them on blocks. As they eat their meals and snacks, have them select the blocks that represent what they have eaten to create their own "consumed" foods pyramid.

3. Try this idea to entice little ones to try mini-bites of new foods. Buy miniature vegetables and fruits at a store that carries a wide variety of produce. Prepare cherry tomatoes, enoki mushrooms, mini-zucchini and mini summer squash, spring asparagus, baby carrots and corn, champagne grapes, seckel and forelle pears, baby bananas, and kumquats. Arrange them on a doll-sized serving tray or mini-picnic dish complete with miniature silverware, fancy cocktail napkins and serving tongs.

4. Let children play with their food. A host of simple ideas can be found in 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Allow kids to transform their hard-boiled eggs into dinosaur eggs with food coloring. Show them how they can make celery in every shade of the rainbow. Have them make a "dinosaur forest" using baked potatoes, broccoli spears, cheddar cheese and low fat bacon bits. Or help children make edible necklaces, stringing green, red, and purple grapes onto a strong sewing thread with a needle.

5. Tour a dairy, cheese manufacturer or pasta factory. It's a great way to learn how some foods make their way to our tables. Plus you get free samples!

6. Discover the joys of peanut butter with recipes found in 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Help kids make their own healthy peanut butter from scratch. Then, use it to bind together yummy log cabins of pretzel sticks, raisins and nuts. Blend it with jelly, skim milk, and nonfat frozen yogurt for the tastiest peanut butter and jelly milkshakes. Or mash it up in a bag with bananas and shredded coconut or raisins if you like. Poke a hole in the bag and squirt it on your favorite crackers.

7. Allow your children to plan a meal, make the shopping list, select the items from the grocery store and prepare the meal. Parents can set the table, serve and clean up!

8. Make your own healthy desserts from recipes found in Julia Sweet's new book. Children will love creamsicles made from low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt and orange juice, homemade applesauce, low-fat strawberry shortcake, and more.

9. Let your children dial-a-dietician when they're trying to convince you that chocolate birthday cake is a great way to start the day. Dial 1-900-225-5267 to speak with a registered dietician from the American Dietetic Association.

10. Hold a good-bye party for the worst junk foods in your pantry and refrigerator.

Personalized Skewers - A healthy alternative to hot dogs and hamburgers and kids can make their own!

 

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