Building Healthy Eating Habits at Home

Parent & Pro Picks
Written By Julie Wilson

Eating a healthy diet that includes vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of serious chronic illnesses and support the development of a healthy immune system. Yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2021 only 12% of adults and 9% of teens in the U.S. met the daily recommended fruit and vegetable intake. Breaking bad habits can be difficult and building healthy ones takes time and dedication. Helping your child build a healthy relationship with food at an early age can set them up for a lifetime of good health. In this guide you will find resources that can help build your child’s healthy eating habits as they grow.

First Foods & Feeding Infants

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastmilk (or infant formula if breastmilk is not available) as the only form of nutrition for infants up until six months of age. In some cases a pediatrician may recommend introducing solid foods earlier or later than six months depending on a child’s individual growth and development. If you follow the recommended schedule for wellness checkups you will have time to discuss first foods and the introduction of solids with your child’s pediatrician at their two- and four-month visit. When your pediatrician gives you the greenlight to begin feeding solid foods to your infant you will likely have a lot of questions about what to feed them and how to begin the process. The two most common ways to introduce solid foods are through spoon-feeding pureed food, and a method called baby-led weaning that has become very popular in recent years.

Introducing solid food is an exciting time for babies and parents alike! Remember, up until about 12 months of age an infant will still receive the majority of their nutrition and calories through breastmilk or formula, so try not to stress too much about how much food your child is actually swallowing. First foods are about exploration, tasting and fun!

Exploring Food with Toddlers and Early Learners

The toddler and preschool years are all about exploration and absorbing knowledge, which makes this an ideal time to build on your child’s understanding of food and nutrition. Giving your early learner some freedom of choice and power over their food decisions can help foster independence and shape their relationship with food. And finding ways to make healthy foods fun can build their intrigue and appetite for fruits and veggies!

  • What we learn about food as children shapes the way we think about and relate to food in the future. The things we say as adults can have a lasting impact on our kids, even if we have the best of intentions when we open our mouth. Being mindful about the words we use when discussing foods is as important as making healthy food choices. This resource from Sesame Street offers an alternative to labeling foods as “good” and “bad.” In the activity your child will learn to identify foods that fuel our bodies and can be eaten anytime you’re hungry and ready to eat, and foods that are not as healthy and therefore best eaten just some of the time.

  • These parent-approved kitchen activities from Action for Healthy Kids are a huge hit among younger children. Try science in the kitchen and playing with food the next time you’re in need of a rainy day activity!

The lunchroom years: Preteens & Young Adults

As children age and their worlds grow, the people, places and things around them have a greater influence on the decisions they make. Parenting at this age often means finding ways to contribute positively to their development, while accepting that you have less and less control over their actions as the years go by. Giving your child the correct information and letting them choose what to do with it is one of the hardest lessons to learn as a parent, but it can also be very rewarding. And since modeling your own healthy choices and body positivity is a great place to start as a parent of a teen, this is a great time to brush up on your own nutrition knowledge.

  • The MyPlate for Teens program is a great place to start for building a general knowledge base for healthy eating.

  • Nutrition labels include a lot of information and can be confusing and hard to understand. Check out the USDA’s Interactive Nutrition Label and review its features with your teen before you head out to the store.

  • Download the Sift Food Labels App and let your child scan the items you purchase (and some you’re leaving behind). Look beyond calories and talk about things like the value of a high-protein or high-carbohydrate food if your child is preparing for an athletic event. Look at the different vitamins in each food as you select a wide variety of items that are rich in different beneficial nutrients.

Healthy-Eating Resources for Children with Food-Related Special Needs, Disabilities, and Sensory Challenges

Food-related special needs can make life even more complicated as you work toward establishing and fostering your child’s healthy-eating habits. Determining the root of their food-related challenges, whether physical, mental, or emotional can help you make adjustments to your family’s meal planning. These resources can help you find support if you have a child with a food-related special need.

  • Is your child a picky eater, or could they have a medical or emotional challenge that would benefit from support? Take this quiz from Scholastic Parents to determine if your child’s eating habits could warrant support from a pediatrician or nutritionist. This article from Child Mind Institute looks at the relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorders and picky eating, and offers tips for navigating mealtime with a child who has sensory processing issues.

  • If your child has a food allergy, shopping and dining out can be extra challenging. The Spokin App can help take the guesswork out of finding allergy safe foods.

  • If your child uses a feeding tube, navigating family meals and eating can be extremely complicated. The Tube Feeding Awareness Foundation has a variety of practical and emotional support resources that can help you through your journey with a tube fed child. Many children who are tube fed may have the ability to explore and learn about food textures and tastes through some level of oral eating. Check out the Oral Eating resource page from the Tube Feeding Awareness Foundation to learn more about controlled therapies that can support your tube-fed child’s development.

  • The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care. They can serve as a resource if you’re concerned that your child may be at risk for developing an eating disorder, and they provide tools and resources to help families be proactive in preventing eating disorders.

Children with special needs and medical conditions are at a greater risk for developing food-related challenges and issues. Drug interactions, aversions to food following a prolonged illness, and foods that metabolize differently in children with specific diagnoses are common. Being knowledgeable about your child’s condition and advocating for their needs can help them establish healthy eating habits and can help improve their overall health and quality of life. If your child has a special need or medical challenge, add diet and nutrition to the list of topics you want to cover at your child’s next well-child visit with their pediatrician.

Family Eating

Children who eat just one meal a day together at home with their family are shown to have lower rates of obesity and fewer documented eating disorders. These resources can help you create healthy meals at home and make a daily breakfast, lunch or dinner a staple of your family’s day.

  • The Family Dinner Project champions family dinner as an opportunity for family members to connect with each other through food, fun and conversation about things that matter. Their free program can help you bring your family together for a daily healthy meal.

  • Planning ahead for your family’s meals can help relieve the stress that often comes with getting a healthy dinner on the table. This beginner's guide to meal prep from Eating Well has a variety of resources that can help get you organized and ready for a week’s worth of meals (or more!).

  • The mission of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is to achieve increased daily consumption of fruits and vegetables for better health. Check out their web resource for a database of fruits and veggies, and tons of healthy and veggie-ful recipes.

  • Kick off your family’s healthy eating with this 30 day family challenge from Eating Well.

Contributed by Krista Lehde, nutrition consultant, mother of three, and owner of UpBeet Cooking. Master Level Certified: Nutrition & Wellness, Holistic Nutrition, Weight Management Specialist, Sports Nutritionist

Julie Wilson
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