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As parents, it’s our job to make sure our kids grow up learning healthy habits. However, it’s not always easy to convince them to eat right. The good news is that it doesn’t always have to be a fight. Here are 3 tips for helping your kids eat better foods:

1. Set the Example

You can’t tell your kids to have a healthy snack and then eat chips in front of them. Instead, you need to set the example. Most kids want to be like adults. If you show them that adults make healthy eating choices, they will be more likely to want to follow suit.

If they see you reaching for a handful of nuts, they will want nuts, too. If your plate contains mostly vegetables at dinnertime, they will be less likely to fuss about the vegetables on their plates.

Keep healthy foods in the house, and make it a point to eat them in front of your kids. The first step is setting a good example. If you do this, your entire family can change the way food is consumed and everyone will be healthier.

2. Make it Fun and Personal

Don’t forget to make it fun and personal. Let your kids help you in age-appropriate ways. If you make “ants on a log,” you can put the peanut butter on the celery sticks, but let your four-year-old put the raisins on top. A seven-year-old can help toss a salad or add ingredients to some dishes.

My son is old enough that he can help cook some of our meals, using a knife and the stove with supervision. If you help your children take ownership of their food preparation, they will be more likely to enjoy the whole experience!

3. Start Young

The best time to help your kids get used to healthier, better foods is now. Start when they are young. As tastes develop, you can guide them to healthy foods by providing those healthy foods to them. My son enjoys a variety of foods, from Indian to Mexican, because we have always made different foods, and healthy choices, part of our meal times.

We’ve always made it natural to just eat what we’re eating, from grinding what we had on our plates when our son was a baby to not giving him pizza when we’re eating Korean food. Creating habits starts young, and if your child grows up eating nuts, carrot sticks, apple slices, and a variety of differently-spiced foods, he or she will be more accepting of them. Good luck!