If you’re like most parents, you want your children to grow up healthy, strong, and happy — and you may be worried that you won’t be able to teach them healthy eating habits. Most children seem to have a natural preference for foods and beverages that are high in sugar and fat, and parents often struggle with getting them to even try healthier alternatives. Teaching healthy food habits doesn’t have to be a battle, though. Here’s what you can do to help your child learn positive eating habits. 

Involve Children in Food Shopping

Children are more likely to want to try different foods if they’re involved in the shopping and selection process. Once children are out of the toddler stage, taking them for short shopping trips to the supermarket can spark an early interest in food, and even young children can help pick out their favorite fruits. Another way to engage children in food shopping is to make visits to your local farmers market a regular family activity. 

Involve Your Children in Meal Preparation

Even children as young as six or seven can help with simple meal preparation tasks. Keep in mind that the point of this is to create positive associations, so make it a pleasant, happy time. Young children can help wash fruits and vegetables, while those over seven with better fine-motor skills can peel potatoes, make salads, and mix basic ingredients. Children over the age of 12 should be able to prepare simple meals themselves. 

Eat Meals as a Family 

Eating as many meals together gives parents and older siblings a chance to model good eating habits. Family meals provide another opportunity to create positive associations around food. This should be a low-stress time of day, so don’t make a big deal out of it if your child refuses to eat certain foods. 

Plant a Family Garden

Because children are naturally curious, growing a family garden provides an excellent way to get their attention in a good way — and they’ll be far more likely to want to eat produce from the garden than its counterpart from the supermarket. Freshly picked food grown in home gardens tends to taste much better than grocery store fare and is more nutritious. 

Avoid Forbidding Treats and Sweets

Children are typically drawn to anything that’s forbidden, so telling them they can’t have certain food items usually backfires. This doesn’t mean they should be allowed to gorge on whatever they like — it’s okay to tell them they can’t have that second piece of cake. Just keep in mind that forbidding cake altogether will only make them want it more. 

Keep in mind that the big picture is what really counts here. Occasional sweets and treats won’t do your child any harm when balanced with an overall healthy diet. 

If you’re like most parents, you want your child to be happy, healthy, and to do well in school — and this means providing a foundation for good lifelong habits. Reading is one of the habits you should work to develop in your child for a variety of reasons. Research shows that reading on a regular basis has both physical and mental health benefits. In general, those who read experience less stress, have a better vocabulary, and even live longer than their counterparts who don’t make a regular practice of reading.

Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to help a child develop an interest in reading. Here’s what you need to do.

Read With Your Child Every Day

A child’s interest in reading starts to develop before the child actually learns to read. Parents who make a practice of reading to their children every night spark that interest at any early age. Choose books with pictures and fun stories. Although many parents read to their child right before bedtime, reading is an appropriate activity for any time of day. No matter what time you choose, making it something to look forward to helps your child create positive associations. 

Enroll Your Child in a Library Reading Group

Nearly every public library has a reading group for young children. Some have several that are separated according to age. There are some library reading groups that meet every day, while others meet once or twice per week. Find the one that works for your schedule and your child’s age and make it part of your routine. You can also enroll school-age children in summer reading programs.

Make Reading Materials Easily Accessible

As your child grows older, always make sure he or she has access to plenty of reading materials. You can get free library books from public libraries as well as the library at your child’s school. Swapping books with other parents is another good way to provide your child with a diverse supply of reading material. 

Set a Good Example 

Children naturally want to emulate their parents. If your child sees you reading on a regular basis, he or she will most likely follow your example. Discussing the books you are reading with your child will spark their interest and imagination. As your children get older and are capable of reading books on their own, consider setting up a family reading time, where everyone reads silently for 30 minutes. 

Above all, don’t despair if your child is among those who don’t take to reading right away. Some children just learn more quickly than others, but slower learners invariably catch up at some point. Avoid making children feel bad if they aren’t reading at the same level as others — this may cause them to resent reading, which they may later transfer to learning in general.