You might love whole grains and leafy greens, but getting your kids to show the same enthusiasm toward a healthy diet can be tricky. To encourage a well-balanced diet in kids, here are 3 healthy eating activities for preschoolers.
1. Play with shapes
A healthy sandwich is much more fun to eat if it’s in the shape of your child’s favorite animal, an airplane, or even a simple heart! Sliced fruit like watermelon can also be easily cut into entertaining shapes like stars. Any cookie cutter will do the trick to turn food into fun!
2. Make it finger-food friendly
Your child might not be a fan of eating their whole dinner, but perhaps they always devour their snacks. While snacks are fun (we love them, too), they don’t have the complete nutrition a balanced meal does. Trick your kids into eating their lunch by cutting up their sandwich into small pieces and choosing fruits and veggies that are also cut up into small pieces, rather than a whole fruit. Breaking down their meal into bite-sized pieces makes it seem less intimidating, and promotes portion control and healthy eating activities for preschoolers. Finger foods make a meal appear like snacking, allowing you to sneak in all the nutrients that they need.
3. Bento Box-it-Up
A bento box, a traditional Japanese single-portion box, is perfect for school lunch. It provides the perfect opportunity for variety in the meal while keeping portion sizes healthy. You can find bento boxes online for your child and for yourself!
Need help building the perfect lunch that meets all the nutrient requirements? We’re all about healthy eating activities for preschoolers; check out our guide to the perfect school lunch.