How to Help Your Child Make Healthy Food Choices

Healthy eating is important for strong bones, teeth, muscles and a healthy heart.
Helping your child make healthy food choices can help them maintain a healthy weight and stay healthy throughout their lives.
Children who have a healthy diet perform better in school.
Research shows that children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if they take part in regular meals.

Introduce new foods to your child.
Discuss what foods your child likes, doesn’t like and why.
Notice if your child is not eating a variety of foods and brainstorm ideas for how to increase the choices.
Turn off the TV and other electronics and talk during meal time.
Talk to your child about the variety of healthy foods you are eating.

Talk to your child about food options he can help you make.
Talk to your child about nutrition labels while shopping and make him aware of what each part of the label means.
Think about how everyone in the family can be involved in creating family meals. Planning meals, making a salad, chopping vegetables, stirring the pot, setting the table, and cleaning the dishes are all possible contributions.

Think of fun ways to present the food, for example create faces on the plates with fruits or vegetables or making smoothies.
Attend the local farmers’ market and have your children sample new fruits and vegetables.
Search the internet for healthy recipes.
Contact community organizations, such as Cornell Cooperative Extension, that have activities for families and children to learn about healthy choices.
Attend workshops that provide information on how to get your child to try new foods.