love what you eat (kid’s edition!)

We believe that food isn’t just about eating it’s about exploring, creating, sharing, and most of all, loving what you eat! From rainbow recipes to delicious snacks, we’re here to help kids build happy, healthy and curious connections with the food on their plate. 

When kids learn to love what they eat, they’re learning about:

• Their bodies and how food fuels them

• The planet and how food is grown

• The joy of trying something new

So grab your forks, follow your taste buds and let’s turn mealtimes into moments of joy!

Ever wonder how an apple gets from the tree to your lunchbox? Or where crackers started before they land on your plate? Everything we eat has a story and it starts long before it reaches your plate. 

Some foods grow in the ground, like crunchy carrots and juicy strawberries. Some grow on trees, just like sweet peaches and sour lemons. Some foods come from animals like eggs, milk or even honey. Some foods are made by mixing and baking in busy kitchens. 

Learning where food comes from helps us understand how we can take care of the earth and the people who help feed us. Farmers, food helps, delivery trucks are doing their best every day to help us feed our tummies. 

Food comes in lots of different colours and each one helps your body in a different way. 

The more colours you eat, the more nutrients you get from your food to help you grow, play, learn and feel good. How many different colours did you eat today? Can you spot some of the fruits and vegetables you ate today on our ‘Eat the rainbow’ poster?

Parents and educators: Check out and download this fun ‘Taste the rainbow’ activity set from the Healthy Eating Advisory Service.

We eat food for lots of reasons. Sometimes it’s because we’re hungry or need energy to play, learn and grow. Other times, food is part of celebrations, helps us connect with our culture, or just makes us smile.

Food helps our bodies do important jobs: giving us energy to run and play, helping us think clearly at school, growing strong, sleeping well, and feeling good in our bodies. That’s why it is important to eat all kinds of foods that give our bodies the things it needs, like fruit, vegetables, grains, protein foods and water.

Food can also bring people together and help us feel part of something bigger like our family, our friends, our community, or our school. That’s pretty special!

What foods make your celebrations special? Imagine your own party and fill a Celebration Plate with the foods you’d love to enjoy! Download and print the activity sheet below to draw or write your ideas.

The kitchen is one of the best places to learn, laugh and get a little messy preparing food. Cooking together also gives kids a chance to try new foods, ask questions and feel excited about what they made. 

Here are some great ways that kids can join in:

Food is special! It’s grown, harvested, cooked and cared for before it even reaches our plate. Respecting our food means remembering the effort it takes to get there and making sure we waste as little as possible while still enjoying every bite.

You can help reduce food waste by:

• Taking only what you know you’ll eat (you can always go back for more!)
• Saving leftovers for later or turning them into something new
• Helping plan meals so foods get eaten and enjoyed
• Getting creative with leftovers: soups, smoothies and snack plates are just the start!

Parents and educators: This freshSNAP resource for Year 6 helps students explore food safety, storage and hygiene while learning how to stop bacteria from spoiling food, keep meals safe and reduce waste. Download it now!

We believe that mealtimes should be joyful, not stressful. While trying new foods can be exciting, we don’t want to pressure, bribe or force children. Every child is different and will enjoy different foods. Some will be eager to try new foods, while some will be more cautious and that’s okay! 

Children learn to build their food preferences over time. Our job as adults is to create a safe, calm environment where they feel in control of what goes into their bodies. Our goal is to create positive food experiences, not perfect plates. 

Here are some ways that you can support your child’s food experience: 

• Offer a variety of food without pressure to eat them 
• Let your child decide if and how much of each food they want to eat 
• Keep mealtimes relaxed and enjoyable 
• Sit with kids at mealtimes and role model eating the foods 
• Involve kids in food preparation and cooking 

Remember that it can take many exposures before a child is willing to try a new food. Keep offering those foods in meals, lunchboxes and even conversations. Every exposure is a great learning opportunity! 

Educators: The Healthy Eating Advisory Service has a helpful resource for cooks and educators in early childhood services on introducing new foods to children. View the resource here.