After a busy day at work or chasing a toddler around the house all day, parents can find the idea of preparing a home-cooked meal overwhelming.  But even when you don’t have time to prepare meals from scratch, you can still feed your children a nutritious meal that will taste good too.

First 5 Sacramento wants to offer all parents and caregivers the following quick and easy tips that will help every child grow up healthy. After all, it is the eating habits children learn when they are very young that will affect their health and nutrition for a lifetime.

Healthy Tips for Feeding Young Children:

• Make food look good:  Children, as well as adults, eat with their eyes first. If the food looks good, your kids will be more likely to try it. Be creative, like topping off a bowl of cereal with a smiley face, using bananas for eyes and raisins for a mouth.

• Get your children involved:  If children are involved in the food shopping and preparation, they are more likely to eat a healthy meal. When shopping emphasize the fresh food areas of the market and minimize the time spent around processed foods.

• Make fruits and vegetables a part of every meal:  Children should consume five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, with a single serving equaling the size of a child’s fist. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet can be as simple as adding lettuce and tomatoes to a sandwich or offering grapes or other fresh fruit with every meal.

• Watch what your kids drink:  Sugary beverages, like soda and juice or sports drinks, can increase the risk of tooth decay. Instead, try serving water or milk.

• Make healthy snacks:  Toddlers and young children eat frequent small meals throughout the day. Give your child nourishing snacks that will give them a burst of energy, like raisins, fresh fruit or vegetables.