3 Tips to Get Kids to Want to Eat Healthy

Feeding kids healthy foods can be challenging. Sometimes, the convenience of fast food outweighs the time spent dealing with a meltdown or hangry kid. But these tips can help parents navigate making better eating choices and thus, develop better eating habits with their kids. 

Tip #1: Be The Change

Kids watch everything parents do. You may be consciously eating healthy foods in front of them, but we have to go beyond and commit to the story we tell them. 

My 3-year-old son, Hiro, loves superheroes. His goal is to be big, strong, and to do good. So I let him know healthy food like his “green drink” smoothies — not candy and ice cream — will help him grow up to be strong. He learned it’s ok to eat treats once in a while, but healthy food leads to strength. I’m also eating with him, and taking it a step further, we do “cheers” for the food in our hands. 

As long as he’s not eating empty calories like potato chips, popcorn, goldfish, ice cream, and candy, then he is ahead of the game. But it’s a balance. I make sure he understands how important it is to eat his big-boy food first, and then we can have a snack. We do a cheer for both. 

Tip #2: Connect

I love games, connecting with my son on his level of understanding. Knowing he LOVES the Hulk, I challenge him to spot things that are green. This allows me to open a cup of peas and say, “Look Hiro, Hulk balls!” I’ll ask him to do a cheer and and he’s off eating peas with his meal. 

What happens when he doesn’t want certain foods? The illusion of choice. He can choose Aquaman carrots or Hulk balls. He chooses and we move forward. 

While Hiro is eating, I reinforce the forward motion toward his goal of getting bigger and stronger. I’ll say, “WOW, you’re already getting bigger, just like Daddy!” I’ll flex my arm and Hiro imitates. 

Tip #3: Inspire Goals

Good habits come through repetition. Identify where you have consistency in your day and use that to build momentum toward your goal. When I pick Hiro up from daycare, I use words of encouragement and acknowledgement, telling him I notice how much bigger and stronger he’s getting. Telling him how much he’s improving by eating his big-boy food fuels his motivation and he asks for “good food” before we even get home. 

Another positive reinforcement: I’ll show him some of his older, smaller clothes and say, “Look! This is too small for you, Hiro! You’re getting bigger and stronger because you’re eating all of your big-boy food!” 

He lights up when I tell him how proud I am of him and when he sees by comparison that he’s making gains.  

Eating healthy requires effort. It’s all about cognitively reframing the situation and employing creative solutions to help achieve your goals. Every family is going to have their own version of what is healthy and every family will have their own challenges, but these tips can help spark some creative ideas.

ImagineDads

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Akira Monma founded ImagineDads to share experiences to provide potential solutions or ideas to help each other and to let you know, you are not alone.

Instagram: @imaginedads

Facebook: /AkiraMonma

Loving husband and father Akira Monma is a senior software engineer for Collins Aerospace. The former gymnastics instructor and competitive break dancer coaches and instills confidence in students to realize the greatness he sees in them. He also is the founder of ImagineDads YouTube channel.

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