Games reinforce healthy eating concepts in an entertaining way. Kids get a chance to apply their knowledge of healthy foods while playing around. The games are fitting for a classroom setting or at home to encourage a healthier approach to eating. Early nutrition education gives kids the skills they need to make healthy diet choices later in life.
Alphabet of Healthy Food
This game uses the alphabet as the basis for identifying nutritious foods. Play as a large group or divide the kids into smaller groups. The goal is to think of at least one healthy food for each letter of the alphabet. The kids write down an individual food item like rice or apples for each letter. They can also use the name of a healthy recipe if they can't think of an individual food item. For younger kids, print off a picture of a food item for each letter. Create a set of letter cards. The kids match the pictures with the corresponding letters to complete the game.
Healthy Food Creations
This game helps kids think beyond the usual healthy meals and snacks. Provide pictures of several different healthy ingredients. The kids use the pictures as a guide for creating a new healthy recipe. For example, the child might choose to top whole wheat pasta with marinara, roasted vegetables and chicken. Encourage them to be creative with their recipes. The kids write down the ingredients or draw a picture of the recipe.
An alternative is to actually let kids create a healthy dish in the kitchen. Provide several different healthy ingredients and let the kids mix them together to make a healthy meal or snack. Taste the creations to crown a winner of the recipe competition.
Food Classifications
Kids need to learn how to identify healthy foods on their own for healthy eating success as they get older. This game gives them practice at categorizing food between healthy and unhealthy options. For a file folder game version, label on half of the file folder for healthy foods and one for unhealthy foods. Kids sort pictures of food items and place them on the correct side of the file folder. You can also play the game with larger pictures or actual food packages. Identify a healthy pile and an unhealthy pile area in the room. The kids place the packages or pictures in the correct pile. Using the actual packages gives kids a chance to practice reading and evaluating nutrition labels.
Chef Relay
A relay game adds physical activity to the healthy eating activity. Divide the kids into two teams. Each team needs an apron, chef's hat and a pair of kitchen tongs. The first contestant from each team puts on the apron and chef's hat while grabbing the tongs. She runs to the other end of the room and picks up a picture of a healthy food item using the tongs. She carries the picture back to the starting line in the tongs and places it in the team's basket. The remaining players take turns completing the task.
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