Our trampoline park in Edison is a great way to get your kids moving. Jumping on a trampoline can burn as many as 1,000 calories in an hour! When so many of our kids are in danger of living a sedentary lifestyle, that kind of calorie burn doing something that doesn’t feel like exercise is pretty amazing. It can encourage kids to get active and stay active through their school years and into their adulthood. But moving is only half of the healthy living equation. They also need to eat right. In a world of fast food, how can you encourage healthy eating and make it (almost) as much fun as jumping at the trampoline park? Here are some suggestions we’ve gathered to help you.

These Tips Can Help Make Healthy Eating Fun

Grow Your Own Food

A family garden can help ignite a lifetime love of healthy eating! Kids are fascinated by the process of planting a seed, nurturing it, and evening harvesting their own food. They will be much more likely to be willing to try a new vegetable if they helped grow it! There are a number of vegetables that are really easy to grow in our East Coast weather, including beans, carrots, peas, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Talk to your local gardening center about which plants will do well in your garden and pick up some seeds at the beginning of the growing season. The best part is that not only will your kids eat healthier, but growing your own produce will help cut down your grocery bill.

Shop for and Cook Your Meals Together

Children love to be involved! Let your children help you with the meal planning, shopping, and preparation of your family’s food. When they are little, that might feel like more work (and it will be), but it will pay off when they are older. They’ll be able to help with a lot of the preparation of the family meals so it’s not all on your shoulders. They’ll be more excited to try a new healthy dish when they helped make it, too. Plus, being involved in the process will allow them to feel like they have some control over what they are eating, instead of just being forced to eat whatever is on the table at suppertime. Plus, all those cooking lessons as a child will pay off big time when they are adults out on their own.

Bring Their Current Interests Into It

What are your kids currently into? If they are really into The Hulk, whip up a spinach smoothie and call it Hulk juice. are learning about another culture, try healthy foods from that country. If they love their interests with their healthy foods will make those foods seem much more exciting. Their whole attitude about a food can change in an instant when you give them a new reason to be excited about it by relating it to something they know and love. You could even try telling them that it’s their favorite characters favorite food! We’ve heard that Teen Titans love broccoli and carrots.

Let Them Try Dips

A lot of dips might not be the healthiest thing to put on your kid’s dinner plate, but if it helps them eat more fruits and veggies, then it might be worth a try. A lot of kids don’t like the taste or texture of vegetables, but they love a little bit of ranch dip. Or they might suddenly love apples when they get to dip them in a little peanut butter and honey. Pick your battles and decide if it’s worth a little dip or two in order to introduce them to some new foods. Chances are good that they’ll grow out of the need to dip pretty soon and still love those foods! If you want to introduce dips that aren’t quite so high in calories and sugars, look for Greek-yogurt based dips or search for some recipes of your own online.

Focus on Color and Shapes

Your kids’ toys are all about colors and shapes, so why shouldn’t their food be, too? Fruits and vegetables come in every color of the rainbow, so pick a few different colors and line them up on a plate in a rainbow shape and watch them gobble it down. If they are learning their shapes, pick up a few simple cookie cutters and use them on sandwiches, fruits, and other healthy food items to make them more appealing. Appealing to their other senses can help them get past the look or smell of a certain food. Once they get past that initial reaction to new foods, they often find that they love them!

Do You Have Other Fun Healthy Eating Tips for Kids?

Do you have a trick for getting your kids to eat healthier? We’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below and tell us what you’re doing to bring more healthy foods into your child’s life. We love when parents share information about helping their kids become healthier and happier!

In the meantime, Rebounderz will keep them moving! Book jump time for you and your kids over at our website and get all the benefits of moving your body in our trampoline park in Edison. We’re open seven days a week so you always have plenty of jumping time whenever you need it. Be sure to check out our rates and hours for information about any upcoming special hours.