Choosing a Healthy Plate: A Nutrition Activity for Preschoolers

Do you have any picky eaters at your house?

Do you have kids who would rather eat fruit snacks than any fruit or vegetable you give them? My kids are complete opposites with regards to food. My 18 month old daughter will eat basically anything and my 4 yr old son is very selective with what he will put in his mouth. I am also a very particular eater and like to eat the same thing again and again… so I see where he gets it from. I am currently 15+ weeks pregnant with my third child and am trying to make sure that I am eating enough fruits and vegetables and foods that are good for me. My husband and son are attempting to eat healthier too. Last week we went on a rainbow grocery store hunt and created a rainbow eating activity. Today I want to share another simple activity we’ve been having fun with as we’ve been teaching my son about making good food choices when he eats! We used some large drawing paper and markers to create a giant version of the USDA’s Choose My Plate graphic. I love the plate image and the reminders to fill your plate at least half full with fruits and veggies. Directions for the Choosing a Healthy Plate activity: 1. Brainstorm and draw pictures of the food that you ate during the day… or during just one meal. My son doesn’t eat that much on some days, so our pictures represent the food he ate throughout the day. 2. Color in the pictures.

3. Cut out the images and place them near the giant plate. Laminate them if you plan to use them again and again.

4.  Talk to your child about each food group. We talk about them during the day when we are eating and then also review them when we do this activity at the end of the day. 5. Have your child place the different foods on the plate and check to see how they did with eating vegetables and fruits or any other goals you may have set together (ie. eating more whole grains, etc.).  

This is a fabulous visual exercise to help kids see what their diet is lacking and a simple way to encourage them to eat healthier and be responsible for themselves.

Not only is this activity a great way to teach kids about healthy eating, it is a great activity to build language vocabulary and introduce them to new words. I also love the opportunity it provides for social conversation, question asking, and turn taking. Do you have any fun ways that you help your kids take responsibility for their own health? What are your kid’s favorite fruits and veggies? What are your creative strategies when dealing with picky eaters at your house?

Here are some great ideas for teaching your children about healthy eating:

• My Plate for Kids
• Learning and Playing with Food
• What To Have for Lunch: A Collection of Meal Ideas