Free Food Group Card Games

I love teaching my children about making healthy choices when it comes to meals and snacks. It’s a skill that I wish I could master for myself and when I’m talking to them about healthy food choices, the mommy guilt kicks in (in a good way) and reminds me that I should be taking my own advice. Healthy food activities for preschoolers should teach them to eat from all the different food groups in a balanced way. Fun food group activities can teach healthy eating, and vocabulary for a variety of foods, in a positive way. No nagging, necessary, moms!

Printable Healthy Food Activities For Preschool

FOOD GROUP ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOL

HEALTHY EATING FOR PRESCHOOLERS CAN BE TRICKY. THEY DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF EACH FOOD CHOICE THEY MAKE.

Teaching healthy food choices is hard! When the aisles of the grocery store bombard you with eye-catching food and drinks that aren’t healthy, it can feel like a losing battle getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables.

Nutrition activities for preschoolers should emphasize healthy food choices in a positive light. Over time, kids begin to understand the importance of making healthy choices.

I have always had the same approach to food for my kids that has, thankfully, helped them develop a desire for healthy foods. When they were toddlers going through their food exploration stages, I would make sure to provide at least one meal a day with foods that I absolutely knew they would eat. I didn’t allow a lot of junk food, so they didn’t have those cravings. For the other meals, I offered things that were healthy, but more of a stretch for their growing palates.

We have continued this for the last 11 years and I can say with pleasure that my kids will seek out fruit for a snack before they will seek out cookies and other junk food items. (In part because they know it’s not in the house and we would have to make it from scratch in order to have it.)

As the kids have gotten older, I’ve put more of the food choice responsibility into their hands. I provide them with a good variety of breakfast choices, by buying the food. Now the older three kids, ages 11, 9 and 6 are responsible for preparing their own breakfast of choice. One consistently chooses oatmeal, one will choose granola over chocolate balls, and one likes a variety. When the cereal runs out for the week they like yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

Here are some questions you can ask your kids when making food choices:

• Why are fruits and vegetables important to eat?
• What’s wrong with eating lots of sugar?
• What is processed food? Is it good or bad?
• Why do you need to drink milk?

What Can Preschool Food Activities Teach?

FOOD PYRAMID FOR PRESCHOOLERS

LEARNING ABOUT THE FOOD PYRAMID HELPS KIDS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HEALTHY VS. NOT HEALTHY TO EAT.

Teaching kids about the food pyramid gives them a great visual about the healthy food required to make our bodies run well. Here are the five food groups, from the bottom of the pyramid up:

• Bread/Cereal/Rice/Pasta
• Fruits & Vegetables
• Milk, Yogurt, Cheese & Meat, Fish, Beans, Eggs
• Fats/Oils & Sweets