From the Store to the Table: Teaching Kids to Eat Healthy with MyPlate from Fresh Baby!

**Products received for review. All thoughts are my own.

Let's talk nutrition.

Like most moms, I strive to provide my kids with delicious, well balanced diets...covering all their food groups each day, and I like to think I mostly do a pretty good job. But more than just serving my kids healthy meals, I also want to teach them to do the same for themselves. I want to teach them where their food comes from, how to prepare it and how to create a well balanced diet. But how can I do that? Sure, my son knows the food groups and the food pyramid. He generally knows which food group they belong to. Remembering to eat from each one? Not so much! He's the type of kid who-if given the choice- would take his meat with a side of meat. So, how can we as parents help to guide our children in the right direction when it comes to making great food choices?

Thankfully, Fresh Baby has a variety of product to help with that! I first shared Fresh Baby last month in this review featuring some of their fun snack options. But in case you missed that, here's a look back at what Fresh Baby is all about:

Fresh Baby supports parents with simple and natural solutions to reducing a child's risk of obesity by promoting the development of healthy eating habits from the first bite of solid foods. The recipes included in the books, newsletter and online were developed to be convenient for anyone, no matter their income or location. With research concluding that children's eating preferences are established by age 3, it is clear that parents play a crucial role in getting their children off to the right start. Fresh Baby was founded, and continues to operate, on the belief that all parents want to raise healthy children, but when it comes to healthy eating habits, they often lack the tools, skills, and knowledge needed to be effective.

Perhaps the greatest product they offer for helping to teach kids about the importance of a well balanced meal is the MyPlate! This fun plate does not just divide and label each section with the necessary food groups. Those sections are actually designed to be appropriately sized portion compartments! I'll admit this is something I myself struggle with, I prepare well balanced meals but don't always have the real idea of how much an appropriate portion size would be. These plates provide the perfect visual example for both of us. I can see how much to serve, and my son learns what types of foods he should be eating at each meal. It even has a reminder to him to drink his water too! Having a child who learns much better visually, this is a huge plus. Though my daughter is still too young to read or understand what these sections mean, I love that she too is getting an early start in learning! But aside from being educational and practical, they are also super cute and fun! If you want kids to truly learn, I've found making it fun helps!

As much as I adore the MyPlate, it is not the only product that is helping me teach my kids to eat right! In fact, Fresh Baby sent me a few more great products that aid in my goal. You see, awhile back I read an article that stated that many kids today do not truly know where their food is coming from. They didn't know about farming or the effort that it took to get their food to the grocery store and onto their plates. I did not want my kids to be among this group. This is one of the reasons that we had hoped to start our own garden as a family. While gardening is a great way to help teach kids, there are still options for those who cannot for whatever reason. Perhaps the best way is to include kids in the meal planning, shopping and preparation.

Perhaps you're thinking, 'If I let my child help plan our weekly meals, we'll be eating dessert for breakfast!'. I get it, sometimes when I ask my son's input, I get the same response. But other times he'll surprise me! (In fact, one of his most requested meals is pot roast!) Give them the chance...and give them boundaries! Pick out a few options and let them choose. Once the meal plan is done, they can help with the shopping list! The MyPlate Grocery List is another great aid. Not only does it allow me to again remind my son which food goes into which group and give us another visual example of the variety of food we are buying, it also makes shopping super easy! Everything is already pretty well sorted into various sections of the grocery store! As busy moms, we need that time saver, right? The MyPlate Grocery Bag also helps us on our trip with a fun design and a convenient guideline to reading nutrition facts on the labels and a price chart for calculating the price of produce by the pound. Even when the kids are not with me, this is great to have on hand! As an added bonus, reusable shopping bags are a great way to teach kids to take care of the earth as well!

Once the food is home, it's time to prep. Do you remember those old commercials, "It's Shake-n-Bake and I helped!". Kids love to feel like they have helped in the kitchen. Even if only in the smallest of ways like measuring ingredients, they feel as if they had a part. Finding age appropriate ways that your little one can assist is another great way to teach them more about their food and eating healthy... but it can also be messy! The MyPlate Apron is perfect. I'm a collector of aprons myself so when my son helps me in the kitchen, he loves putting one one. We loved that this apron was easy for him to put on and take off on his own...and wasn't girly at all! It also covered more than a typical apron- perfect for kids. My daughter-while not quite old enough to help in the kitchen much- loved it as well- so bright and fun! While it's designed to help keep kids clean while cooking, I also couldn't help but think it would be very handy while eating particularly messy foods as well!

As you can see-from the store to the table, Fresh Baby truly has thought of it all when it comes to teaching kids about proper nutrition. These are still just a few of the many great products available. You can see everything they have to offer at the links below:

Shop the Website.
Free E-Books & Tip Sheets
In Depth Recipe Collection
Like on Facebook.
Follow on Twitter.

And check out these links for menu inspiration:

Menu Meal Ideas
Pack a MyPlate Lunch
MyPlate's Breakfast Tip Sheet

To help you encourage your children to eat better, Fresh Baby is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a 6-PC. KID’S MYPLATE DINNERWARE!! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Winner will be contacted via e-mail after giveaway ends, and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. One entry per household, winning entry will be verified. Odds of winning depend on valid entries received. A Modern Day Fairy Tale is not responsible for prize delivery.