Healthy habits are easiest to form in childhood, and with the alarming rate of overweight and obesity in Americans, it is more important now than ever to begin instilling these habits early in childhood. Children are perceptive and eager to learn. By making nutrition fun and understandable, you will help your child develop a passion for health and nutrition that will hopefully carry over into adulthood.
Gardening
Children love to ask questions. They have a strong desire to see how the world works. It is always helpful to verbally inform them about the foods they should eat and that the healthiest foods come from the earth, not the factory. Even better though is to show them. Planting a small vegetable garden is a great way for children to have hands-on experience with healthy foods. They will be thrilled to reap the harvest they have sown, and the process will leave them more willing to try new healthy foods because they grew them themselves. If you don't have an area to plant vegetables outside, plant several pots of small vegetables and herbs to grow on a windowsill.
Cooking
Cooking is the logical next step in the process. Once you have foods that you have grown, or even picked up at the supermarket, your child will love the experience of creating a meal with the ingredients. Cooking is not only a fun activity, but it is also a skill that they can use for the rest of their lives. If you are not a cooking connoisseur, just pick up a children's cookbook at your local bookstore. Prepare easy, age-appropriate recipes that virtually anyone can make.
Guessing Games
Games are fun for children and adults alike. Depending on the child's age, you can make fun trivia games and get your children excited about learning about food and nutrition. For younger children, show pictures of foods and say, for example, "What are carrots good for?" with the answer being "vision." For older kids, you can play a jeopardy-style game. Give out healthy snacks for prizes, such as popcorn, baked sweet potato fries, apples and granola. If you are playing with a group of children, make sure everyone gets a prize.
Coloring
Kids love to color. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has free coloring pages and material available on their website for teaching your children about healthy eating. Coloring is a perfect activity for teaching children about the various nutrients present in fruits and vegetables of different colors. For example, orange foods are rich in beta carotene, while red foods are high in lycopene. This is easy for children to understand, and before you know it, they'll be teaching their friends about the healthy compounds in the foods they are eating.
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