5 Fun Activities to Encourage Kids to Eat Healthily

Educating your kids about healthy eating is paramount. Along with modeling healthy eating behaviors and telling your children why eating a healthy diet is important, you can make the most of some really effective and fun activities to help your kids develop the lifelong habit of making the right food choices.

In today’s article, we’ll elaborate on how you can teach your kids about healthy foods in a fun, playful way. Arm yourself with the entertaining games and activities we’ve rounded up below. Use each game (read as: each powerful tool) described below to encourage your children to eat healthily. For more similar activities and tips on how to stimulate your little ones to eat healthy foods, visit Easytobemom.

1. Find the Odd Word Out

Say five words including four veggies and one odd word. For instance, “Onion, cabbage, potato, elephant, red pepper”. Ask your kid to name the odd word/notion. Use an odd word that’s also a food. For example, “Eggplant, potato, corn, cupcake, beetroot”. That way, you will make the activity more thought-provoking and fun. Don’t forget to ask your kid why the odd words do not belong with the rest of the list.

2. Plant Vegetables with Your Kids

If you have a home garden, involve your kids in planting, watering, and growing their own food. Make the best out of this exercise on a regular basis to show your children where healthy food comes from and how they can grow it for themselves. Carrots, radishes, beans, peas, and pumpkins are among the easiest veggies to grow with kids.

3. 3D Veggie Man (or Even Superhero)

If your son likes superheroes, create one using cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and other veggies. In fact, making a simple veggie man will do to engage your kid in a fun activity. It’s such a fun way to encourage your kids to eat their veggies! Google veggie man tutorials online for more inspiration.

4. M is for Mango…

Taste and discuss healthy foods with your kiddo every day. To make this more fun, choose a letter of the day and focus on healthy foods that start with the chosen letter. For instance, if your letter of the day is ‘M’, it’s time to opt for some melon, mango, milk, or mint tea…

5. Yay or Nay

Instead of throwing out your weekly grocery catalogs, use them to play a fun game with your kids. Cut out pictures of foods from the catalogs, then make your kiddo glue these pictures into the ‘Yay’ or ‘Nay’ column on a large sheet of paper. After that, discuss your kid’s choices and dwell upon the necessary adjustments and improvements (if there should be any). Keep in mind that the ‘Maybe’ column also has the right to exist on your ‘Yay or Nay’ sheet.

Cutting to the Chase: Start Early & Be Consistent

Aside from the entertaining activities described above, you can use other tools to help your kids learn about the importance of eating healthily, such as books, mobile apps, movies, as well as other games. Make sure you start this education early and are 100% consistent when it’s about teaching your children how to make the best food choices throughout their lives.