Parents often ask — what’s the best way to teach nutrition to my kids? My answer is always “keep the focus on food and fun”. Children between the ages of three and five are at a wonderful and curious stage where they love to touch, smell, play with and sometimes even taste new foods. At this stage, children do not need to understand food groups or nutrients. They learn best through experience and by watching adults eat.
When serving new foods, catch your child when he or she is most hungry. This is often during afternoon snack time. Offer the new food alongside a favorite and remember to take a bite yourself.
Choose fun instead of force. For some children, it may take 10 or more exposures to new foods before they will take the first taste. Keep it positive and avoid the temptation to require your child to take a bite. When your child feels in control, they will eventually develop the confidence needed to taste new foods.
Offer finger foods with fun dips to promote independent feeding skills. Try pea pods, steamed baby carrots, grape tomatoes, sweet pepper strips or broccoli florets with hummus, smashed beans, guacamole or plain yogurt mixed with herbs. Chunks of pineapple, bananas and strawberries are more fun when paired with vanilla yogurt or light cream cheese.
Let your child be a kitchen helper. A preschooler can help tear up lettuce, break bananas into chunks, dump and stir ingredients and even crack open eggs. Kids gain self-confidence when they play a part in making snacks and meals.
At the grocery store, allow your child to pick out a favorite fruit or vegetable as well as something new to try. Ask your child to point out a vegetable in different forms. For instance, play “find the carrots” as you are shopping. See if your child can pick out carrots in their whole form, canned, in the frozen food aisle and in the deli or store salad bar.
Start a garden, big or small. If you don’t have space, start with windowsill containers. Easy to grow vegetables and herbs include radishes, basil, lettuce, and spinach.
Read fun food-based storybooks to your child.
Eat together as often as possible. Shared family meals promote good eating habits and also aid in your child’s overall development.
Show your child how much you enjoy eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, beans, lean meats, fish, yogurt, cheese and milk. Young children really do learn best by example!
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