You may be here as you have recently read our Meal Planning Monday article. Planning meals for the week ahead will allow you to save time and work together as a family, as well as helping you to avoid take-out and unhealthy ready meals.Does your child know that chicken nuggets once clucked and French fries come from the ground? It’s important to teach children about the food they eat. Helping them to make responsible food choices at an early age will pay off with good eating habits down the road. Next time you go to the grocery store, bring the kids and take your time.

Fill your cart with mostly natural and minimally processed foods. Good choices are:
1. fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
2. lean meat, poultry and fish
3. whole grain bread, cereal, pasta and baked goods
4. reduced fat dairy foods or non-dairy substitutions

Here are some ways to make shopping for healthy food fun!

Riding High

Let small children ride in a shopping cart where they can see the colorful displays of fruits and vegetables. Name them as you pass. Share your strategy for selecting produce by its color, smell or texture. The grocery store is a great place to practice skills like counting, colors and numbers. Select a new food to try when you get home.

Junior Shoppers

Give your child his own shopping list and cart. Depending upon his age, he can walk near you, or independently, in search of the healthy items on his list. With older children, provide a budget and encourage comparison-shopping. Don’t do this during peak weekend shopping hours!

Taste and See

The only way to know if we like something is to try it. If you’re a regular at the deli counter, don’t hesitate to ask for a slice of a new meat or cheese for your child to try. Variety is essential to a healthy diet, and the more he likes, the more options he’ll have.

Pick Fruit and Bake a Pie

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall is a great introduction to how apples grow. It even includes a recipe for apple pie! Plan a day at an orchard where you can pick your own fruit. Anything in season will do. The outing is an event in itself, but creating a pie or other delicious dessert with the “fruit of their labors” will round out the experience for your kids.


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Smoothie Smorgasbord

If you’ve got a blender, you’re in business. Take the kids to the store and pick out some yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit that can be blended into a custom variety of tasty and nutritious smoothies. A 6-ounce container of yogurt, 8-ounce glass of almond milk and 1 cup of cubed fruit or whole berries will blend beautifully for a refreshing snack.

Chef for a Day

Plan a menu with your child. How about a hearty breakfast, picnic lunch or celebration dinner? Maybe all three! Consult recipes, make a list of ingredients and go shopping together. It’s a great way to bond with your kids and to foster an appreciation of the love and know-how that go into feeding a family.



Fill your children’s plates with healthy food. Teach them to find it, prepare it and enjoy it for life! It’s interesting to note that fruits, veggies, meat/ fish and dairy products are all usually located around the perimeter of most stores, so spend less time in the middle, to stay healthy!


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Image Courtesy: jaro Larnos & mayoff - Flickr