5 Easy Ways To Get Your Kids To Eat Anything

When you’re busy with work, family, and life, making health a priority can sometimes seem impossible—too expensive, too time-consuming, too complicated. But in reality, every tiny step you take toward wellness makes a difference. That’s why mindbodygreen and Lorissa’s Kitchen are celebrating the #SmallWins that make healthy living attainable to anyone, anywhere. Here, lifestyle expert and mother of two Sophie Jaffe shares how involving kids in the kitchen empowers them to make healthier decisions.

We’d all like to believe that if you lead by example, your little ones will follow. But in reality, it’s not always easy. Although kids may be hungry enough for baby carrots and hummus, they happen to spot a friend licking the frosting off a doughnut. Suddenly that’s the only thing they want. And maybe you actually want a doughnut too.

For years, I felt anxiety when I tried to squeeze my food choices and eating philosophy into a box. Over time, I learned that by not labeling it and not limiting my options or depriving my body, I gained a sense of freedom. This #SmallWin made space for creativity and flexibility. By shifting my mindset, I am able to fully embrace balance and work collaboratively with—rather than against—my body to give it what it needs to function and thrive.

From there, I’ve found that it’s much easier to pass on those habits, and that philosophy, to your little ones—to teach them the value of food. Instead of creating a “healthy diet” based on limitations and rules, show them how to eat from a place of love: love for themselves, their communities, and their larger world.

The moment you or your kids eat something because it’s “good for you” without having any passion for the food itself is the moment that it loses some of its power. Instead, teach kids to eat because they love how the food tastes and how it makes them feel.

Here’s a recent #SmallWin I’m proud of: Kai, my 5-year-old, has always made it clear that blueberries are not for him. And given that blueberries are beautiful blue marbles of antioxidants, this made me feel sad. Still, I felt there was no reason he shouldn’t try some every once in a while. After rounds and rounds of him still not liking the berries, we gave him a basket this past week, and he ended up happily eating the whole container!