One of the biggest frustrations for parents is making their kids eat healthy. The goal is to follow the healthy food pyramid guide which involves eating 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruits daily.  That seems too much vegetable and fruit servings for kiddos right? But if you are to set your kids into a lifetime of healthy eating, you really should begin training them now.

So how can you get your kids to eat healthy? Here are some things you can do.

• Start as soon as possible- Don’t delay making your kids eat healthy.  It is best if you start them young- as babies. As babies, let them eat foods that have different textures and flavors.  Don’t expose your babies to sweets and instead let them get accustomed to bitter, salty and other flavors.

• Serve vegetables and fruits daily- Parents usually serve their babies special foods including fruits and vegetables. The problem is when the kids start eating on their own parents stop serving the kids fruits and vegetables and just let the children eat the regular meals that the whole family eats.  The best way to get your children to eat vegetables is to regularly serve them in your home.  If you don’t eat vegetables you can’t expect your children to eat them too.

• Let your children help in food preparation- it’s more fun for kids to eat fruits and vegetables when they helped in the preparation of the meals. One healthy meal you can prepare with your child is a salad. Let your child taste the different ingredients before you put them in the bowl and then let your child mix the salad. 

• Mix vegetables and fruits in food recipes that your children already enjoy- If your child likes to eat cake, bake a carrot or a banana cake then just put a thin layer of frosting on top to make it more fun for your kids to eat.  Turn fruits into smoothies or yogurt. Put tiny bits of vegetables in your child’s favorite soup.

• Place a piece of fruit in your child’s lunch box- place a slice of apple, a few pieces of fruits and other fruits into your child’s lunch box. This is very helpful in training preschoolers to eat fruits and vegetables.  Kids who don’t like to eat much usually eat when they see their peers eating.  If you place a small piece of fruit into your child’s lunch box, your child may be prompted to take a bite and try the fruit during recess.