What parent hasn’t wondered – am I doing all I can to feed my child a healthy diet? Are they getting enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals? Is there too much fat or sugar in their diets?

Studies have shown that two of the most effective actions parents can take to improve health outcomes in their homes are:

• Cut down / cut out sugary drinks
• Take the screens out of the bedroom (computer, TV, phone)

Kids can be picky eaters, but don’t underestimate them. Thanks to TV shows like MasterChef Junior, Waffles + Mochi, and trends on social media like Tik Tok, today’s children are becoming more educated, informed eaters. Many already have a general idea of what makes up a healthy diet: lean protein, more fruits and vegetables, less processed foods, sugar, and salt. It’s our job to find easy ways to make these choices appealing and fun. It’s not true that “kids don’t like vegetables.” Children respond to food just like adults do; with a heightened attraction to fast food, sweets, and white flour products like pasta and refined bread. So, continue to serve these foods in moderation, but make sure to include (small cut) vegetables as part of the dish, or even hidden in the dish such as adding pureed fruits and vegetables to sauces, breading mixes, burgers, soups, and cookie doughs. When vegetables are diced small or roasted, children are more open to receiving them.

Fortunately, most children aren’t suffering from diseases of aging, so a message of personal health can often be the wrong approach. Try instead to focus on how healthy foods can help animals and our planet stay healthy, and you might find a much more receptive audience. That simple act of talking to your children about what healthy looks like, and modeling good eating habits is good practice. However, make sure to keep discussions neutral and introduce new foods gradually; if you judge too harshly or nag too hard, children may push back with resistance.

It’s also helpful to get kids involved in weekly menus and cooking. Young children are proud to serve as sous chefs for parents, while teenagers graduate as chef for a meal or two a week, with the added responsibility of deciding the menu. They’ll enjoy telling adults what to do! Have an apron monogrammed with your child’s name and take it up a notch by adding a chef’s toque for the young ones.

Epicurean Group has been experimenting on ways to make healthy eating more appealing to our younger clientele for years. We choose menus with balanced nutrition and kid approval, engaging our students with lunchtime discussions we fondly refer to as What’s Hot and What’s Not? We ask students what they love about our menus, what they dislike, and what they would like to see in the future. Additionally, we introduce new menu items with hands-on taste tests, giving students a chance to sample foods they may never have tried before. After incorporating all the feedback, recipes are adjusted to create a new-improved version that gets reintroduced into meal service with a student seal of approval.

We are very proud of our 1-acre garden at San Domenico, a west Marin school serving K – high school. Education doesn’t end in the classroom at San Domenico; every grade has a plot. Students love tending the chickens, vegetables, and herbs, using them in cooking projects such as making soup and incorporating some food into the cafeteria menu. Every October we celebrate the harvest with a large Garden Fair for the entire student body. Exposing children to hands-on involvement with growing and cooking food is a wonderful way to set life-long appreciation for where our food comes from and how exciting fruits and vegetables can be!