CHOICE has developed three Healthy Choice Lesson Kits. Ricky's Garden Adventure (ages 4-6) includes a story coloring book that follows "Ricky" as he explores a neighbor's garden. Health Protectors (ages 7 and up) teaches about the health protecting properties of fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Our Planet on Your Fork (ages 13 and up) explores the impact of food choices on the planet.

Grocery Store Treasure Hunt

Take your child or children to the grocery store. Challenge them to find fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables that they have never tried before. Create a spirit of excitement and adventure trying new plant-based foods of all kinds. Children are naturally curious and love to play, so make it into a game. You can do this each week. It will become a habit to explore new fruits, grains, and vegetables.


Visit a Local Farm or Farmers’ market

This type of outing will put children in touch with local surroundings and create an awareness of how food is grown and sold in places other than a supermarket.

Talk About Favorite Fruits and Veggies

Ask your child or children about the fruits, grains, legumes, and vegetables that they like or dislike. Don't argue about the healthy aspects, but rather listen to what they have to say. Ask them specific questions about WHY they like or dislike certain foods. Ask them for ideas on food preparation that might make these foods more appealing. You may wish to start a list of all foods from these groups that they like. Add to this list every time your family enjoys another healthy food.

Plant A Seed

Encourage your children to have a windowsill garden. Plant and water herbs, sprouts, or an avocado seed.

Let Children Be Creative With Food

Help children build self-esteem and teach good eating habits by allowing children to plan, prepare and serve simple nutritional snacks. For example, create smiling faces using vegetables and butterflies using rice cakes, or make frozen banas or applesauce. For suggestions, click here.

Learn about different cultures

Take your child to the library. Together choose a story they would like that is set in a different world cultures. Read the story together. Then prepare ethnic finger foods from that culture that you think your child will enjoy (tacos from Mexico, spring rolls or wontons from China, etc.) Help your child understand that this is the kind of food the main character would eat.

Seeing is believing
Replace some of the unhealthier plastic foods in toy kitchens with replicas of fruits, vegetables, and loaves of bread. Better yet, replace the unhealthy foods in your real refrigerator with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Lessons about healthy foods will "stick" more when you eat healthy too!

Model Healthy Eating Habits

Perhaps the most important way that you can alter the lifetime eating habits of your children is to model healthy habits yourself. The results may not be seen for many years, but research has shown that parents have the greatest overall influence on the attitudes and values of their children. The way of life that you present will continue to influence your children throughout their adulthood. Let them see your interest in nutrition and in exploring the wonderful world of plant foods.

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