Best Ways to Get Your Child Eating Healthy Snacks

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Does your child continually ask you for things like chocolate and fruit snacks? Here are some of our best ways to get our children eating healthier snacks!

We were in the checkout line at the grocery store. My son was about one year old. And I grabbed a couple of Hershey’s bars and added them to the conveyor belt. My son saw my addition to the shopping list and immediately made noises and gestures asking for some.

Go ahead. Judge me.

I was judging me. And so was the lady ringing our purchases up. She noticed my son’s behavior and commented that “they sure learn quickly” what the good stuff is!

It is good stuff. And I don’t want to deny my children chocolate. Or any of life’s yummy things.

But I also want to give them a good foundation of eating habits that will help them be healthy throughout their lives.

Part of that involves getting them active. A larger part, though, involves getting them to eat the healthy along with the sweets. And hopefully in larger part than the sweets!

And teaching them (not to mention, reminding myself) that the “healthy” things can also be the yummy things!

I wasn’t comfortable with how familiar my one year-old was with the Hershey’s packaging, so I needed to figure out how to get my son to want the healthier options.

Great, so how do we conquer that monumental task?

Make the Healthy Options Visible

My husband bought me this lovely fruit stand for Christmas. It’s huge and takes up a good portion of my counter. I love it, however, because it allows me to stock up on produce and see what I have. A lot of produce actually does better out of the refrigerator, so into the fruit stand it goes.

Besides seeing what I have and what needs used sooner rather than later, it also acts as this giant advertisement for my son when he’s hungry.

He’s a smart boy, so when he’s hungry, he’s learned the kitchen is where it’s at. So he wanders in there and sees the produce. Turns out he loves peaches and apples and especially clementines. He’ll come running back into me asking for whatever caught his eye. Then there’s the added bonus that my attention has now been called to the basket, and I think, “yeah, an apple could really hit the spot right now” and I momentarily forget about the Snickers I have stashed in my bedroom.

Buy Smaller Amounts of What You’re Cutting Down On

Usually, it’s a better price to buy the big bag instead of the little bag. But not everything’s about money. I’m really not a fan of any diet plan that tells you to completely eliminate something from your diet (okay, allergies are a real problem and exception) so I don’t think you should stop buying the treats.

So buy the smaller one instead. Or make the single batch of cookies, or cut your recipe in half. My mom always doubled every recipe which gave us all plenty of cookies or whatever to eat. But if you divide it in half instead, then you gently force yourself into making healthier choices.

If there’s only enough for the whole family to basically have a bite or two, that’s fine. You’ve got all that produce to fill up on instead.

Keep Proportions in Mind

A toddler’s stomach is roughly the size of his fist. A tablespoon of protein, a tablespoon of vegetables, a tablespoon of grains, and that’s roughly enough to fill a kid up. Yes, you might have to give them more because at least half of it may end up on the table or floor. But their portion needs aren’t as big as you think. Eating one green bean is actually pretty awesome.

Everything is Yummy

My husband is a huge help with this one, because he genuine loves the healthier options. We call everything yummy. We say “yum, yum, yum” as we eat, even if it isn’t actually our favorite thing to eat. Labeling foods as yucky doesn’t help anyone eat it. And if you actually think it’s yucky, why are you cooking it?!?

Be the Example

The hardest part for me is making the healthy choices myself. So I practice the strategy I perfected as a kid: eat the my less enticing stuff first and follow it up with my favorites. Then you finish your meal feeling good AND you managed to eat your veggies.

Make Dinnertime Fun

Sometimes you just need a little added incentive to want to scoop up those veggies and eat them. Splurge and get fun dishware and flatware to entice them to the table and the lovely meal you’ve made. Like this awesome construction set:

Or perhaps a bit more reasonably, something like the dinosaurs:

Repeatedly Expose Them to Vegetables

Even if they don’t eat it or like it the first dozen times, don’t stop making it. I’m not saying make something gross over and over. But don’t stop making it just because your kid hasn’t shown any interest. Our pediatrician reminds us constantly that toddlers change their mind about food constantly. They like macaroni one day and hate it the next. And, with repeated exposure, kids slowly warm up to it and may, on attempt number 47, give it a try.

Some Things Will Never Be Favorites

I’m an adult and have learned to eat what’s put in front of me. To be polite and try things. But you know what? There are still a number of things I don’t like.

How do you get your child eating healthier snacks?