How I Got My Kids to Eat Healthier!

I have a few ways I got my kids to eat more fruits and vegetables and they all center around getting them more involved with what's on their plate. I even started eating more vegetables myself! I have two affiliate links in this post, if you purchase through the links I may get a small commission at no cost to you.

1. Have a garden- even if it's just one thing. My in-laws have a large garden and the kids love digging in the dirt, weeding, watering the plants and picking when it's ready. We don't have that much space but we plant what we can and utilize container gardening. My boys' favorites from our gardens are beets, purple cauliflower, potatoes (okay, those are my favorite, they are so much better than store bought!), purple carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, strawberries and pears. They also loving picking apples from a neighbor with permission. 

We are working on a raspberry patch, it takes a couple years to get anything but we had a handful of little berries last year so I'm hoping for more this year.

If all you can do is buy a strawberry hanging basket that's a great start! I did that for a couple years and couldn't believe how many strawberries we got. Sugar snap peas are another easy one. You can throw the seeds in a container with a tomato cage or even a couple sticks to grow on. They grow quickly and will give you peas for a good couple months. 

2. Involve them with cooking. Mainly chopping produce with this Montessori Knife and Chopper set. The knives are great at cutting but won't cut your skin. I have no idea how it works but it does. 

My kids start at about 2 years old and can actually be surprisingly helpful as they get older. They often cut the tops off strawberries or slice cucumbers. I love having them visit with me while I'm in the kitchen and it helps keep them occupied while I am busy with dinner. If you want to get your child even more involved there are sets with more tools for not much more of a price tag like this 17 piece one if you're raising a little Gordon Ramsay. Don't forget to throw food scraps in the compost.

I also have them help cook whenever it's appropriate. They get so excited and we have to dole out tasks equally otherwise fights break out. My oldest son loves zucchini bread and helps me make it every couple of weeks or he doesn't get it.

3. We started this one recently. We are discussing what the food we are eating does for our bodies... Carrots are high in vitamin A which is good for your vision and overall health... Beets are a good source of Folate which is essential for cell growth and division aka growing big and strong. We started asking Alexa these questions as we are eating and my boys love hearing what she has to say! We also ask Alexa about the not great things we eat like chips or french fries (my weaknesses!) which opens up a great discussion on why we try to make healthy choices for our bodies most of the time and why it's okay to have a treat too.

How do you get your kids to eat healthier foods? I'd love to hear in the comments!