If your child’s favorite food belongs cake-and-cookies food group, you’re not alone. While children do naturally have a bit of a sweet tooth, many of their eating preferences are learned and changeable. And that’s great news for parents trying to raise healthy kids.

The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children eat two to four servings of fruit and three to five servings of vegetables each day. Beyond reducing the risk of childhood obesity, these foods provide essential vitamins and minerals that help ensure your child’s health and development.

Here are some steps you can take today to help set your child up for a lifetime of healthy eating:

• Make healthy foods easy to access in your home. Just like adults, kids are more likely to reach for the snack that’s ready to eat than the one they have to prepare. Make healthy choices easy by keeping fresh fruit in a bowl in the kitchen and having ready-to-eat vegetables (like carrot sticks, snap peas or cherry tomatoes) on an easy-to-reach shelf in the fridge.
• Limit juice and fruit snacks, and opt for whole fruits instead. Juice and fruit snacks might seem like a good way to help your child reach their daily recommended servings of fruit, but they contain a lot of added sugar and almost none of the fiber of whole fruits. Children younger than one should not drink juice at all. Children ages one to three should have no more than four ounces of juice daily, and kids ages four to six should have no more than four to six ounces daily. Even after age six, fruit juice should be limited to eight ounces a day.
• Try different preparation methods. Some children like their veggies raw and crunchy, but others may prefer the softer texture of cooked vegetables. Find what your child prefers.
• Eat together as a family. Set a positive example for your child by eating your meals together so your child can see you enjoy a balanced diet.
• Keep mealtimes positive. Forcing or nagging your child to eat healthy food can actually create negative feelings about the food, making it less likely that they’ll eat it. Try to focus on the positive aspects of the meal. If your child does not like a food, that’s okay. Give it some time and try offing that food again later.
  
  If you are concerned about your child’s nutrition, reach out to your family’s pediatrician for advice that is tailored to your child and your family.

Visit freemanhealth.com/pediatrics for more information about pediatric services at Freeman Health System. You can also visit healthchildren.org for more information about AAP recommendations.