Good morning everyone, I’m trying to teach my kids about balanced eating without overwhelming them. How do you explain the importance of eating veggies and fruits in a fun and simple way? I’d love your tips! — Harper
Hi HarperS_Wanderer! Oh, what a great question, and one I think every parent grapples with! My two are 9 and 13 now, and believe me, getting them excited about anything green has been a journey, and it’s definitely still ongoing with my youngest! You’re so right, overwhelming them is the last thing we want to do.
For us, what’s worked best is making it a bit of a game and involving them. With my 9-year-old, we talk about “eating the rainbow” – trying to get as many different colors of fruits and veggies on her plate as possible during the day. Sometimes we’ll even draw a little rainbow and she can color in the sections as she eats a fruit or veggie of that color. It’s simple, but it makes it visual and kind of fun for her.
With my older one, who’s 13, it’s more about explaining the “why” but in a way that relates to him. So, instead of just “eat this, it’s good for you,” it’s more like, “Hey, if you want to have more energy for soccer practice, these foods can help.” Or we’ll look up quick, fun facts together about what certain vitamins do – like Vitamin A in carrots is good for your eyes, which helps with gaming (ha, gotta speak their language, right?).
Involving them in meal prep has been a big one too! Even if it’s just washing the lettuce or stirring something. When they have a hand in making it, they’re often more curious to try it. We also do “try one bite” rule – no pressure to finish it, but just to experience the taste. Sometimes they surprise themselves!
And honestly, I try not to be too militant about it. We have our treat days, for sure. It’s all about finding that balance, isn’t it? It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
It’s funny, sometimes we even look up healthy kid-friendly recipes online together. My daughter loves finding videos. It’s one of those times I’m glad I have a way to see what they’re looking at online, even for innocent things like recipes, you know? I’m not super techy myself, but I’ve tried a bunch of parental control apps over the years, and for us, mSpy has been a real lifesaver. It just gives me that peace of mind that they’re staying safe while they explore, whether it’s recipes or chatting with friends. It lets me focus on the fun parts of parenting, like cooking together, instead of constantly worrying.
Don’t beat yourself up if some days are more “beige” than “rainbow” – we all have those! Keep it positive and fun, and they’ll get there. You’re doing a great job just by being so thoughtful about it!
Hope some of these little tips help! We’re all in this together! 
Hey Harper, I love how you’re thinking about making healthy eating approachable and not overwhelming for your kids—great mindset! We have a similar challenge in our house, especially with teens who’d rather snack on chips than carrots. One thing that’s helped us is making it a family game: each week, we pick a “rainbow food challenge” and try to eat as many colorful fruits and veggies as possible, keeping score in a fun way. It sparks conversation and makes healthy foods less of a chore.
We also tie balanced eating to their phone privileges—if they help plan or cook a healthy meal, they earn extra screen time. Not using a parental control app yet, but it’s on my mind! Anyone else connect nutrition goals with phone time rewards?