Kids can be fussy eaters! Encouraging kids to eat fruit and vegetables can be tricky. If you’re looking for a way to teach your kids about healthy eating then the ‘Eat the Rainbow’ idea is fun and super easy for kids to track what they are eating each day. You can download the free ‘Eat the Rainbow’ food tracker to teach your kids the importance of eating healthy, nutritious food and encourage them to have more variety in their diet. My kids love a challenge and even my 4 year old has grasped the idea of eating all the colours of the rainbow to keep her body healthy!
Why is it important to teach kids about nutrition?
I’m not a nutritionist but when you look around a crowded public space, it’s not hard to spot the current obesity crisis that is happening in the world.
As a primary school teacher, it is blatantly obvious that some families are trapped in the spiral of unhealthy eating and I see many kids at a young age already struggling with health issues because of their unhealthy eating habits.
The simple truth is, that ‘You are what you eat’ and we need to be teaching our children how important it is to nourish their body with good food in order to maintain a healthy body. And live a healthy lifestyle.
The trouble is that most kids are fussy. Fussy eating is totally normal in young children and you may need to introduce the same foods many times before your child will eat them.
But it is never too early to teach kids to look after themselves and how important it is to nourish their bodies with healthy food. The habits they learn from the start will set them up for living a healthy lifestyle for life.
But tell me a kid who doesn’t whine about eating good food? Or for some kids …… all foods!
The struggle is real!
As a mum of 3, I know the challenge that comes with encouraging kids to eat fruit and vegetables. And I also know that it can be really tricky getting your kids to even eat sometimes, let alone eat the right foods!!! And just like that old saying goes you can lead a horse to water …….
Or can you?
My son is probably the most picky out of my 3 children. He is not good at trying anything new. Especially when it comes to food.
He would always stick to his regular go to fruit and vegetables that he knew he liked, such as banana and cucumber. And sometimes frozen raspberries. But that was about all he would venture into when it came to eating any form of raw, healthy food.
But it started to become a problem. His body began to show signs that it needed more nourishment throughout the day to sustain his overall needs. He was pale, low in energy and he suffered from constipation and leaky poo in his underwear. And at age 5, pooping your pants is not really something that should be happening anymore.
The thing is, bananas and cucumbers are great sources of nutrition. But, your body needs more of a variety to function at its best. So I needed to find a way to encourage him to eat more variety and try new foods.
So how could I promote healthy eating to a 5 year old boy who would never try anything new?
Introducing Eat the Rainbow
How better to encourage your children to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables than telling them to Eat the Rainbow!!
Fruit and vegetables are vibrant in colours! And each colour offers its own nutritious qualities to support a healthy body! You can teach your kids the colours of the rainbow and what each colour provides each part of the body. As well as the essential vitamins and minerals each provides to give us energy for the day.
You can get started by downloading this free printable here.
My kids loved this idea.
We filled out the healthy food options chart together and discussed what a healthy plate should look like.
We made sure that all colours of the rainbow were included within the range of meals we eat in a day and if they ever needed to make a snack of a certain colour they could refer to the options we had come up with.
Display the Chart where your kids can see it!
My kids each have their own rainbow chart displayed in the kitchen and every time they eat a new colour they can stick one of the fruit and vegetables they have eaten on the rainbow colour that they have eaten.
Even my son was encouraged to fill in each of the different colours and has since learnt to love red capsicum. Hallelujah!
Nutritional knowledge really is power! Why it’s important to teach to your kids!
The way we bring up our children around food will set the standard for them for the rest of their lives.
Habits are hard to break so ensuring that you teach your children healthy habits is just as important as teaching them how to cross the road.
The important part of this activity is actually giving your kids the knowledge of good nutrition and healthy habits. Teaching them the importance of eating a variety of healthy food in order to nourish their body so it can grow and sustain their energy that they need to get through the day.
The key is giving them the knowledge that they need to create a healthy and appropriately balanced diet that will encourage a healthy lifestyle for them now, and always.
This activity not only teaches them how to look after themselves nutritionally but shows them how to do it. And will encourage those fussy eaters to try new things! Health begins at home. Where habits are created forever.
So get started today and download your free set of Eat the Rainbow printables! More tips and hacks inside the pack!
Want more ideas for meal times with your family? Grab my Ultimate Meal planning System for Mummies! It has been a game changer for our family! No more standing in front of the fridge stressed about what to make for dinner AGAIN tonight! Includes extra resources to get the whole family involved, promotes healthy eating and cuts out the whining from your kids at dinner times!