Sarah Stock, a Register Dietitian at St. Luke’s, says it’s important for parents to model healthy eating habits for children, “That whole do as I say, not as I do, never really works.”

Then after this, focus on how you can creative and go on a ‘food discovery together.’

Stock suggests a book from Chop Chop Family called the Eatable Alphabet– each letter represents a different food and gives ideas on how to prepare it.

Eating well may also require more of a vocabulary than yuck or yum. “Kids often eat with their eyes,” Stock says, “This is a way for kids to use more words about what could describe this.”

For example it could be crispy, juicy, sweet, sour.

“It’s less about the food labels- and more about how the food makes them feel.”

Ask kids: How do you feel when you’ve eaten a lot? How do you feel when you haven’t eaten?

Sarah also suggests adding an interactive piece in the kitchen by letting kids prepare the food they are going to eat.