What will kids eat?

Every child needs a good combination of calories, proteins, minerals and vitamins to grow. That's why healthy food choices are so important.

But what healthy foods will kids really eat? The answer varies from child to child.

To get an idea of what kids like, we asked some first grade boys about their favorites from the five basic food groups. Here's their list:

• Starches: bagels, biscuits, bread -- "chocolate," crackers, fettuccine Alfredo, chocolate chip muffins
• Fruit: yellow, green or red apples with the peels on or off, bananas, grapes, oranges, fresh peaches, raw pears "sliced up with peanut butter on them"
• Vegetables: cooked broccoli and cauliflower (Yes, a child admitted liking them.), cooked green beans, raw baby carrots, corn on the cob, cucumbers, cooked peas, "frozen peas straight from the freezer not washed," cooked potatoes, raw sliced tomatoes
• Dairy: yellow or white cheese, ice cream, skim milk, Dairy Queen, any kind of yogurt
• Meat and other proteins: cooked chicken, ham, Hamburger Helper, hot dogs, "cow meat," peanuts, "squirrel and deer," "non-bloody" steak

Kid-friendly recipes

With the above in mind, try these dishes:

Related Links

More recipes

Nutrition: For children & teens

Food portion sizes

First published: 01/29/2004
Last updated: 06/29/2005

Reviewed by: Paul Kleeberg, MD, medical director, Internet/Intranet Services, Allina Hospitals & Clinics