The Healthy Plate

 I truly believe you can set a path for your children to create healthy eating habits as soon as they can take down the mush. Being a healthy role model is of course the most important, but I also like to educate my children about nutrition. By making this healthy plate craft, my kids really got involved in decisions about their food choices. Here's a fun way to teach your kiddos how to eat healthy, balanced meals!

 I first drew a diagram on a few paper plates. Half of the plate was for fruits and veggies and the other half was split for proteins and grains. We talked about these groups of food and gave a few examples of what kind of food might fit into each one.

 Next, they got to personalize their plates by drawing a few of their favorite foods into the correct spot on the plate.

 This eventually turned into a fun game for them. I would name a food and they would decide which group the food would fit into. What a fun way to learn about nutrition!

We keep our "healthy plates" in the kitchen and the kids like to build their meals just like the diagram. They are making healthy choices and learning how to balance a meal to fit their growing bodies. And this makes my heart smile.