One of the largest factors affecting your current and future health is what you eat. And one of the largest factors that determine what we eat is what we buy. With this in mind, it becomes easy to see the importance of training kids to shop for groceries intentionally. Our attitudes and habits are created so early in life that it is never too early to start modeling and teaching healthy behaviors. The next time your family takes a trip to the grocery store, try out these easy learning exercises.

Label Reading

If you want to know the truth about a food, look at the label. A food item’s packaging is carefully designed to sell you a product. Many food products are marketed to appear much healthier than they are. A quick look at the no-nonsense back label will provide an accurate picture of what you are dealing with. Don’t get caught up in healthy-sounding buzzwords. Just because an item claims to be gluten-free,  soy free, vegan, cruelty-free, all natural, organic, fresh, sun-kissed, or 7-grain does not mean that it is healthy. I’m looking at you, organic, gluten-free chips and cookies!

Look at the ingredient list. Often the longer an ingredient list, the less healthy the food. There are, of course, exceptions, but just know that with a longer list of ingredients, you may need to scan it before giving the item the seal of approval.

Look at the serving size. Don’t be fooled by the banner advertising "only 100 calories!" and later realize that it was 100 calories for a teaspoon. This is also a good chance to give your kids real-life application of their simple math skills. "If this drink has 100 calories per serving, and there are three servings in the bottle, how many calories would it be if you drank this whole bottle?" Follow up these math questions with, "Do you think this is a healthy choice or a sometimes treat?"

Meet New Foods                  

Many children—as well as adults—lack a varied and well-rounded diet. Part of this may be because we do not try new and different foods, or we think we don’t like new and different foods. Surprisingly, whether adult or child, our tastes are not as static and decided as we may think. It may take 20 times of tasting a new food for the palate to adjust and enjoy the flavor. The body also begins to crave what it is given. If you purposefully feed yourself healthy foods, your body will begin to crave those foods. Unfortunately, the more sugar and processed foods you eat, the more you will crave these foods.

We shouldn’t be surprised when children don’t want to put something in their mouths that they have never seen or heard of. And really, aren’t adults the same? The grocery store is a great place to teach your child about different healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Start the discussion with questions: "What kind of food do you think this is?" (Fruit, veggie, meat, nut, etc.) If neither of you knows, this is a good opportunity for some fun food homework. A quick internet search should tell you anything you want to know about this mystery food. Then, let the kids brainstorm recipes for how you will use this item. There might actually be some good ideas. Of course, you might also have a few less-than-helpful suggestions, (asparagus sandwich, anyone?). But the sillier the suggestions, the less intimidating the new food may be.

Money Matters and Critical thinking                  

Food and nutrition aren’t the only things to learn about at the grocery store. Other life skills can include following a list, shopping on a budget, and simple math.                   

This is a good time to demonstrate making a grocery list and following it. Designate a keeper-of-the-list to call out items and check them off. The other child(ren) can be the “gophers” who grab the items and put them in the cart.                    

Divide the coupons up, and challenge the older kids to find their coupon items first. Teach children how to analyze what is a "good deal." If it is an item that you don’t need or would not otherwise buy, is it still a good deal? Also, if it is a good financial deal but bad for your long-term health, is it really a good deal?

Lastly, let your kids know what the budget is and what the strategies are to stay within budget (coupons, sales, using a calculator). Offer a special reward for everyone when you stay within budget. This could be stickers, balloons, a quarter, or a trip to the park.

A trip to the grocery store with kids doesn’t have to be painful, if you take advantage of these teachable moments while you can. Both you and your child will benefit from practicing more mindful grocery shopping.

About the Author: Sarah McClafferty lives in Benton with her husband and two dogs. She loves ethnic food and napping. She works at Saline Memorial Hospital, does private consulting, and received her master’s degree in clinical nutrition from UAMS in May 2016.

 

Recipe: Carrot Fries
  • Heat oven to 425 degrees F. 
  • Line a shallow cookie sheet with foil.
  • Toss 1 bag of petite carrots well in 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil.
  • Spread onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning carrots at the halfway mark. 
  •  You can be as creative as you want with the seasoning. I love to add red pepper to give it a kick. Rosemary or garlic is also nice.