Activities That Help Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Kids
Check out these great ways to encourage healthy eating habits in kids! Tons of ideas to get them excited about healthier food choices.
Disclaimer: We were compensated for this post but as always all opinions are 100% our own.
Homebound and looking for things to educate and entertain? Dole is here to help. From kid-friendly activities and recipes to helpful healthy-living, healthy eating habits articles and food safety tips. Via an existing alliance between Dole and the national non-profit Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK). They are expanding their offering of food-, health- and nutrition-focused information and resources for parents challenged with maintaining healthy routines for their kids and families in the age of COVID-19.
Last month, Dole launched an At-Home Parents Resource Page featuring the most useful family-friendly resources it has developed over the years PLUS new materials including nutrition tips; healthy recipes that kids will like and can help prepare; free printables; at-home games and activity ideas for healthy eating habits and more; and research-backed suggestions from Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole Health and Communications Manager.
What does this all mean?
Simply put, it means that they are here for you with resources for healthy eating habits and resources to engage kids that include:
- Articles and tip sheets for healthy eating habits at home and on a budget
- Advice for getting kids involved in the kitchen and reading nutrition labels
- Strategies for conducting healthy taste tests at home
- Proven ways to accommodate picky eaters
- Dozens of produce-based Dole breakfast and lunch recipes created to appeal to kids’ tastes.
Engaging and interactive resources
Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you have a ton of content to read and sort through. Dole and AFHK have made it so that it’s fun for you, the kids and for teachers too with their online Healthy Eating Toolkit.
For example, there are printable coloring pages (like the one pictured above), we know kids love to color but at the same time they will learn about healthy fruits and vegetables. There are also crosswords puzzles so they can learn even more about veggies and fruits while engaging their minds with some critical thinking and they’ll think they’re just having fun while they learn!
Encourage a love of growing a garden
There are even fun printable garden markers that you can download, print and the kiddos can attach them to a popsicle stick to get it already for whatever they want to grow in a garden at home. I know many people are thinking about growing a vegetable garden in these times. It’s not only an opportunity to learn a little about agriculture but also healthy eating, how to care for plants and so much more. 
My family and I have been thinking of starting our own vegetable garden for quite a while but like many, we’re even more inspired to do so now. I love the printable garden markers and might get my teenager to get them ready for our garden.
You can download their Garden Markers by clicking here —> Dole Garden Markers or all of their printables on their site below.
Healthier cooking and eating habits
After the kiddos learn more about fruits and vegetables, having fun with the coloring pages and crossword puzzles, and maybe even starting their own vegetable garden – the fun (and learning) doesn’t stop there. Kids can also have fun learning about measurements via fun printables that utilize images of fruits and vegetables while also showing them what 1/2 cup looks like vs 1 cup etc.
If you’d like some recipe ideas make sure to go to our recipe section for healthier recipe ideas like our Healthy Chicken Salad Wraps with Avocado.
There are resources to encompass all learning styles, as we know that not only is each child special and unique so could there learning needs. There are fun activity ideas for sensory learning, there’s a fresh fruit and vegetable taste test idea, an idea generator and oh so much more. There’s a ton of resources to utilize to help kids learn healthy eating habits, healthy cooking and more all while having fun and yes, keeping them busy at home too!
Encourage healthy eaters
The interactive toolkit is your one-stop shop for all things nutrition. Eating better helps improve kids’ learning, behavior, and emotional health, so start building healthy habits with these recipes, resources, and ideas on a variety of topics.
For teachers and parents make sure to check out these resources from Dole and the AFHK on the websites below. We can have fun and learn together during these challenging times. Which activity will you and your kiddos try first?
Dole Resources Page: https://www.dole.com/at-home-resources
AFHK Learning Toolkit: https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/nutrition-toolkit
Make sure to PIN this handy resource for your reference any time you need it.
Em Mahr says
My 2 sons are in a picky eting phase right now. Seems like all they’re eat is pasta and chicken nuggets! I love these ideas, espeically the snack your colors wheel. I ahve the boys cook with me and we have a vegetable garden to try to encourage them to eat healthy foods.
gloria patterson says
This is a lot of great information. I have a great niece who is almost 4. She goes through stages of just eating mac & cheese and then she will try other things. They have found out that by letting her help in the kitchen she tried more different foods. She breaded fish once at my niece house and she ate almost a whole piece.