Healthy eating doesn’t have to be a chore. Nor does it have to be a journey down the road of tasteless food. The myth is that healthy doesn’t taste good. Your kids will follow your lead, they just need some guidance and a sense of adventure. Here are some easy tips to help stir your entire family down the road of better eating.
Go to the source
There’s no better way to educate your child on the importance of eating healthy foods than to show them where it comes from. Take them on a field trip to the farm or your local farmer’s market. They can pick their own fruits and vegetables and see what real food looks like before taking them to the grocery store.
Make healthy snacks available
Healthy snacks start with choice. If you start with only healthy options then you’ll be teaching without preaching. If they have a choice between cookies or vegetable sticks which one do you think they’re going to choose? Save the cookies for special occasions.
Drink to that
What you drink is just as important as what you eat. Drinking water is way healthier than soda and even fruit juices. Many fruit juices have more sugar in them than your average soda. Ok so water can be boring, so here’s an alternative. Agua Fresca, Spanish for ‘fresh water’, can be made with almost any fruit from watermelon to mango. It’s super easy to make with endless possibilities. Just blend up your favorite fruit or fruits, equal to or more ice cold water, a little sweetener to balance it out; sweetener is optional, and blend it all together. Pour and serve immediately ice cold.
Lead by example
Teach healthy eating habits early by being the example of how you’d like your children to be. If you get them in the habit of healthy eating early, it could help them live a happier life for years to come.
Make healthy eating a journey of creativity
Food should be an adventure of flavor. You can draw inspiration from so many cultures around the world that are amazing. Season some chicken breast with some chimichurri sauce from Argentina. Or try some flavors from Morocco with Za’atar seasoning. Even a kick of flavors from New Orleans will wake up those taste buds. Make a game out of it and discover new things together.