Healthier Foods
Here's What To Do
While you’re preparing food and eating together, talk with your child about foods that are healthier for you and that you could eat in larger portions.
Compare them with foods that are not as healthy and that you do not eat often, or you eat in smaller portions.
Encourage your child to describe some of the similarities and differences between these foods, such as how they taste, look, and how they make your body feel.
Acknowledge foods that many of us like, such as cookies and candy, aren’t as healthy as fruits and vegetables – that’s okay, and it’s why we try to eat just a little!
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Settle your child into the kitchen with you in a place where it will be safe for them to help.
Engage:
- “Why do you think we eat more vegetables than we eat cake?”
- “What’s the difference between vegetables and cake?”
Encourage:
- Ask guiding questions to help your child compare foods.
- “How does your body feel when you eat ___? What about when you eat ___?” “How does each food taste?”
Reflect:
- “What’s your favorite food? How does it make your body feel when you eat it?”
Not quite ready?
As you’re preparing or eating food, describe the different foods and explain why some foods are healthier choices than others.
Ready for more?
While shopping, your child can choose one new healthy food they’d like to try.
As your child masters this skill...
They will be able to compare and contrast healthy and unhealthy foods.