Grow Up Together

Picture this: Your kids are in charge of the menu for an entire week. Does your dinner plan instantly look like a pie chart made of pizza? If so, you're not alone! While it's tempting to cave to their wants, our job is to provide them with what they need especially when it comes to healthy eating.

To help you move beyond the beige food group, here are a few simple tips for ensuring your kids eat a colorful array of foods, including those essential greens.

Children Follow Our Lead

Our children are watching and imitating everything we do. Because kids look up to us, these formative years are the perfect time to shape how they view the world, especially when it comes to healthy eating. What we show them matters. If they see you happily eating and enjoying foods like broccoli, they'll register it as a positive and fun experience, making them eager to try it themselves.

Bonus: This is a great chance to build or strengthen your own healthy eating habits alongside them.

Seek-A-Meal

Children's nature is to be visual, meaning a vegetable that screams "broccoli" is likely to be rejected. The solution is to get creative and disguise the ingredients. Start by finely chopping or dicing the veggies before incorporating them into favorite meals. You can also explore techniques like dipping fried cauliflower in melted cheese or blending mild greens, like romaine lettuce, into sweet fruit shakes made with mangoes and bananas.

Hello, Sweets

It's inevitable: your child will eventually ask for ice cream it's just a fact of life! It's important to remember that enjoying a sweet treat isn't bad; it's overconsumption that's the issue. The goal is to keep high-sugar items like chocolates, candies, sodas, and fruit juices to a minimum.

Pro Tip: Instead of using sweets as a reward (which makes them seem like a prize), try including them with meals. A small sip of milkshake after a bite of dinner? Go for it! This approach helps kids view sweets as a normal part of the meal, minimizing the urge to seek them out later on.

A Good Breakfast Makes a Great Morning

A great start to the day is essential at any age. To help your kids get the most out of their mornings, establish a routine that includes a balanced breakfast.

Be sure to cover these four essential components:

1. Milk or Dairy: For bone strength.

2. Fruits and/or Vegetables: For vitamins and fiber.

3. Whole Grains: Such as cereal or bread, for lasting energy.

4. A Drink: To keep them hydrated.

Get Them Going

Keep your kids active! Burning the energy they get from their meals is key, and while they're too young for the gym, household chores are a great substitute for exercise.

Get them involved by having them lift blankets, carry towels, sweep floors, wipe surfaces, or put away their toys. Crucially, always keep the atmosphere positive and cheerful during these activities.

These early years are critical. As their brains are developing, the habits they form now will "set in stone" for life. This gives us, as parents, a huge opportunity to influence their development and ensure good habits last. You'll notice many of our suggestions involve doing things together—these shared moments are invaluable, so maximize your bonding time before they get older.