There is an intersection between health and taste, you just gotta find it.
Getting kids to eat healthy is often like pulling teeth, especially once they’ve already gotten a taste for sugary, artificial stuff. I think kids should be allowed to try most foods at least once, if only because if you try to withhold the bad stuff from them, they’ll just want it more. The trick is not keeping your kids away from the artificial stuff, but rather to give them natural, healthy snacks that are good enough to keep them on the right track on their own.
Kids typically don’t like vegetables, at least not unless they’re somehow incorporated with meat or cheese. If you give a kid a bunch of cucumber slices and expect them to be cool with just that, it’s not going to happen. But vegetables become much more attractive if you pair them with some quality dipping options. Hummus is a fantastic choice, rich in plant-based protein and fiber. Hummus comes in quite a few varieties, almost as many as potato chips, and you can even make it yourself for a fun family activity.
Fruit is a little easier to make happen than vegetables, but you still might have to pump the gas a little to get your kids on board. If your kids are a fan of cheese (and most are, in my experience), give ’em the classic pairing: cheese and grapes! Cheese is a great source of easy calcium, and grapes are high in antioxidants. Cheese and grapes are a great choice for the colder season, providing a clean source of energy.
Sooner or later, though, your kid will probably demand some sugar. If you need something sweet, Greek yogurt is a good compromise. It’s comparatively lower in sugar compared to the regular stuff, not to mention high in gut-empowering probiotics, which’ll shore up your kid’s immune system (something we could all use right now).
Sooner or later, your kid will get a taste of chips and soda and whatnot. But if you give them snacks they already enjoy, then the bad stuff won’t need to be more than an occasional indulgence.
