Eating for Health, and for Fun! . PBS Parents

There are many ways that parents can establish healthy eating habits in their young children. The earlier you start the better! Young kids are great copycats. If they see you eating healthy foods, they'll want to copy you. Engage kids in food by letting them help with meal planning, shopping and preparing. Related activities can offer great learning opportunities. Cooking with kids helps build math and listening skills, and you can turn a trip to the grocery store into a literacy game.

Activities

ZOOMers Get Crafty with Food

Healthy Birthday Treats

Overcoming Picky Eating

It is normal for children between the ages of 2 and 5 to resist eating new foods. But even the pickiest eaters will eat a balanced diet if parents make healthy foods available to them. Here are some ways to make healthy foods favorite choices. Read more.

Get Kids to Eat Healthy Foods
Here are some strategies for encouraging kids to make healthy food choices.
Fun with Food
Having a little fun with food may be the very thing that gets kids excited about healthy eating.
Healthy Book Choices
Introduce your kids to health and nutrition through these age-appropriate books.
Healthy from the Start
Help infants and toddlers learn healthy eating habits (requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Cooking with Kids

Following directions. Practicing math. Reading. Learning about nutrition. These are just some of the skills that kids pick up when they help out in the kitchen. So next time you are preparing a meal, ask your kids to join in. Even cleaning up teaches valuable life lessons, such as responsibility. More »

Healthy Eating Tips for Your Family

Getting your family to eat healthy may seem like a challenge, but it doesn't have to be. With a little planning and effort, good nutritional habits can become part of your family's daily routine. Here are five tips to get you started. More »

Supermarket Explorer

Who says grocery shopping with kids has to be a hassle? We've got ways to entertain them, while boosting their reading and math skills. How about a round of Grocery Store Bingo? And a supermarket is the perfect place for a scavenger hunt. Take along these engaging activities (and something to write with) the next time you and your kids go shopping:

Note: To use the printables below you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download). To get back to Eating for Health — and for Fun! from the PDF pages, use the "back" button on your browser.