Promoting Healthy Eating in Children

Eating habits are instilled from a young age, and often these habits are carried through to adulthood. 

Children who learn to eat well can develop and sustain a healthy lifestyle, which has many benefits such as healthy growth and development and preventing long term illness.

Children who eat healthy foods in their everyday lives can be more concentrated and interested in activities, which can improve their concentration and learning.

Early childhood educators, parents, guardians and carers are in a unique position to support children’s development and growth, and to promote good eating habits. You can become a great health promoter by making small changes to way you do things with children.

You have an important role to play in promoting healthy eating early to children.

You can help provide a healthy eating environment by:

• Family Meals: Making mealtimes relaxed and comfortable

Involve your children in meal planning and preparation.

Keep mealtime calm and friendly.

            Sitting and Eat with children

• Being positive about the healthy foods the children are eating

• Don’t Battle Over Food: Encourage fussy eaters to try new foods. A better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods available at home. Don’t bribe or reward child with food.

• Role Model: Being a positive role model with the foods you eat, and teaching the children about healthy eating through discussions, questions, games and activities.

• Get Children involvedin shopping for groceries and preparing meals. You can teach them about different foods and how to read food labels.

• Make healthy snacks available. Keep plenty of fruit, vegetables, and healthy beverages (water, milk, pure fruit juice) on hand so kids avoid unhealthy snacks like soda, chips, and cookies.

• Setting up a veggie garden, growing simple vegetables like carrots and trying your hand at some herbs. You could then try some cooking activities with the children using the produce you’ve grown. 

• Having a compost bin or worm farm can get the children talking about leftovers and the importance of not wasting food.  

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