Encouraging Kids to Cook, Eat Well, and Stay Active
Discover strategies to handle fussy eaters while encouraging kids to cook, eat nutritiously, and stay active at Kids Club Childcare. Checkout helpful tips for a healthier lifestyle.
Article Written By:
Cathy
Centre Director at Kids Club Elizabeth Street
Cathy has been an integral part of Kids Club for over five years, earning deep respect as a mentor who guides her team towards excellence. With extensive expertise and unwavering passion, she inspires educational programs that seamlessly blend learning and play.
Are your children picky eaters? As parents, you may have experienced the challenge of getting your child to eat whatever you have prepared for them on the table. With screens dominating children’s lives and fast-food options around every corner, it can feel like an uphill battle. But it doesn’t have to be a losing one.
At Kids Club, we’re passionate about making cooking, healthy eating, and staying active not just educational but loads of fun for kids. Who says healthy can’t be exciting? By integrating these practices into daily routines, we aim to foster a lifelong appreciation for wholesome foods and an active lifestyle, ensuring that children are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices.
We believe that there’s a way to make eating fun, engaging, and empowering for your kids. Through interactive cooking classes designed for kids, a carefully curated menu that emphasises balanced and healthy eating habits in children, and a dynamic approach to physical activity that makes exercise both enjoyable and engaging, we strive to create a supportive and enriching environment that encourages children to cook, eat well, and stay active.
Ready to dive in? Let’s explore some fun and effective ways to get your kids excited about cooking, munching on nutritious foods, and moving more.
Engaging Kids in Cooking Adventures
Do you know that cooking together can spark your child’s curiosity about foods? Cooking classes for kids can be more than just a fun activity. They can also be cornerstones for teaching valuable life skills and instilling good eating habits. Cooking is a wonderful way to teach children about healthy foods and nutritional habits. At Kids Club, we incorporate children into our cooking activities, offering lessons that they thoroughly enjoy!
That is why, at Kids Club, our centers strive to cultivate their own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices! Our vegetable gardens have been incredibly rewarding, allowing children to observe growth, understand plant needs, and enjoy the benefits of harvesting their very own home-grown produce. Under the guidance of their Educators, children learn to identify ripe and edible foods, recognise what still needs time to grow, and discover the insects that play a role in the garden, including some very hungry caterpillars!
At Kids Club, we believe that when children are involved in the process of cooking, they’re more likely to be curious about the ingredients, which can lead to a willingness to try new foods.
Here are some of our tips to make cooking an adventure:
- Start Simple: Choose recipes that are within the skill level of your child but still offer a challenge. Simple salads, smoothies, and sandwiches are great starting points. You can make them responsible for putting in the different vegetables needed.
- Make It a Game: Turn cooking into a game by having “taste tests” or decorating plates. This not only makes the experience enjoyable but also encourages children to eat what they’ve made.
- Cooking Together: Even toddlers as young as two years old can manage simple tasks such as stirring and mixing ingredients. Bringing a step stool into the kitchen allows them to work alongside you. While you may encounter some mess, the invaluable time spent learning and bonding in the kitchen makes it all worthwhile. You can also use this opportunity to teach them about healthy eating habits. Discuss the benefits of the ingredients you’re using and why they’re good for the body.
Encouraging your child to help in the kitchen can make them more willing to try new foods! Children enjoy feeling a sense of purpose and control and involving them in meal preparation can give them just that. If you have a picky eater on your hands, giving them some control over their meals might motivate them to be more adventurous with what they eat.
Fun and Interactive Ways to Encourage Healthy Eating
Creating a healthy eating menu at home doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, it can be an exciting way to explore new foods and flavours. Since many meals are consumed with us, from breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, lunch, and a late snack, our chefs ensure Kids Club members get healthy meals from the five food groups. There are no processed foods or sugary drinks allowed in our kitchens!
Here’s a sample of our nutritious meal choices at Kids Club:
Bread, Cereals, Rice and Pasta
- We use high fibre varieties like wholemeal bread, pasta and flour, brown rice and they like it. No complaints about not having white bread which is much less nutritious being refined and deprived of all the nutrients of the cereal. We highly recommend you start going wholemeal at home if you haven’t done it yet.
Fruits and Vegetables
- Our chefs creatively incorporate vegetables into every meal, ensuring children enjoy a balanced and nutritious diet.
- A large array of Fruit is served at every meal, morning and afternoon tea. The children love the colours and the portions already prepared.
- All sorts of preparations such as purees, smoothies make an interesting change of taste and structure.
Meat and Dairy
- We offer various protein and iron sources in the menu, changing every day between red and white meat, fish or eggs. If there is a religious veto, the meat will be replaced by other vegetables or legumes.
- Dairy products, milk, yogurt and cheese are served once a day at least, sometimes at every meal
- Water at every meal! Drinking water helps prevent future teeth problems, develops strong teeth, and contains no sugar or fat.
Here are some strategies to encourage healthy eating:
- Grocery Shopping: Involve your kids in grocery shopping. Let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable to engage them in the process. If you’re involving them in your weekly meal plan, you can go one step further by bringing them to the store with you to search for the ingredients you need for the recipes.
- Grow Your Food: If space allows, grow some simple herbs or vegetables at home. Children who see where their food comes from are more likely to appreciate and try it.
- Plate Art: Encourage your children to create art on their plates with their food. This not only makes mealtime fun but also encourages them to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Creating healthy eating activities at home can be a surefire way to get kids excited about trying new foods. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start with easy-to-do food projects that children will find interesting.
Promoting Physical Activity for Kids: Making Movement Fun
Figuring out which physical activities to implement for kids is just as important as discovering what good eating habits are. At Kids Club, children engage in a variety of physical activities, ranging from Zumba and yoga to activities incorporated from the Munch and Move program, encouraging them to get up and move after eating healthy food. This includes anything from throwing or kicking balls, dancing, jumping or running. Encouraging kids to stay active not only supports their physical health but also their mental well-being. Here are some ways to make movement fun:
- Dance Parties: Put on some music and have a dance party. This is a great way for the whole family to get moving and have fun together.
- Adventure Walks: Turn walks into adventures by creating a scavenger hunt or exploring new areas.
- Unstructured Play: Nowadays, it’s easy for children to spend hours glued to screens, leading to sedentary behavior and decreased physical activity. Set boundaries around screen time and encourage outdoor play as an alternative. Provide opportunities for unstructured play in nature, such as visits to the park or nature hikes.
Making your kids move after eating is also important for their developing bodies. Simple activities such as walking, jumping or playing ball can be enough to support their physical and mental health.
Ready to experiment and introduce your kids to healthy eating?
Encouraging healthy eating habits in children is a journey that requires patience, creativity, and involvement. By making cooking, eating, and physical activity fun and interactive, you’re not only dealing with fussy eaters more effectively but also laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. At Kids Club, we’re committed to supporting families in this journey, offering cooking classes for kids, and providing a healthy eating menu that caters to the nutritional needs of growing children. Remember, the goal is not perfection but progress. Celebrate the small victories, like trying a new vegetable or participating in a cooking class and build on those successes over time.
Wondering what you can cook with your kid? You can download our FREE cookbook here: Chef’s Favourites Cookbook.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our children, one meal and one activity at a time.
If you want to learn more, call Kids Club Early Childhood Learning Centres or book a tour now of your closest Kids Club Early Learning Centre, click here to view your closest Centre.
As the leading provider of early childhood care in Australia we always put your child first. We are committed to 7 National Quality Standards.
Updated 9 December, 2024
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