Yes, you CAN help your kids make healthier food choices!

Did you know that globally, less than 20% of kids meet recommendations for physical activity? Or that ours is the first generation of children set to have a shorter life span than their parents?

While we can’t be with our kids 24/7, we can empower them to learn the difference between a healthy and unhealthy choice of their own accord.

Here are 10 ways to help your kids make better food choices:

1. Make your overall priority to create and encourage a healthy relationship with food – to teach your children to recognise how good whole food makes their bodies feel.
2. Keep mealtimes interesting by eating seasonally – a wide variety of fruit and vegetables tend to be less expensive and taste better in season.
3. Ensure nutritious options rather than restricting snacks. For example, instead of a plate of fried potato chips, offer baked sweet potato wedges, cut fruit, and veggie sticks.
4. Include your children in the cooking process.
5. When shopping with your kids allow them one treat per shop, but ensure you are in the fruit, butchery, and dairy aisles first. They’ll be munching on their treat by the time you get to the danger zone – the sweet aisle.
6. Encourage a fussy eater to try new flavours by telling kids to at least try everything once before telling you they don’t like it. Continue to put a food they’ve previously refused on their plates and encourage them to try one bite.
7. When eating out, offer your kids healthy foods along with small portions of indulgent foods. For example, protein and vegetables with a small portion of chips on the side.
8. Use child-appropriate cutlery. Big bowls or plates make for big appetites and lead children to ask for up to 52% more food – and waste more.
9. Ask your kids if they’re satisfied rather than full to help them think about achieving satisfaction, not fullness.
10. Getting 25% cash-back through the Discovery Vitality HealthyFood benefit helps parents to buy more of the vegetables, fruit, and nuts that empower your kids to choose from various healthy snacks on offer between meals.