Let your child help with a meal

Offer a real, manageable choice

“Which vegetable would you like us to have with dinner?” is one way to invite a choice within a meal you are already making. You can offer options that fit what you have, your budget and the time available. It does not need to be an open-ended request to plan dinner.

Let helping look different

Health Canada suggests involving children in choosing recipes, checking cupboards and adding food to a grocery list. Food skills also include reading a recipe, measuring and preparing food. Choose a task that fits your child’s abilities, with adult help and supervision. Handling heat or sharp tools is not a required step in taking part.

Keep room for an ordinary evening

On a busy day, helping might be naming a food for the next grocery trip. On another day, you may have time to prepare something together. You can ask, “Would you like to help choose, or help get something ready?”

These are examples of invitations, not a script or a test of whether your child eats the food. Read the linked guidance for more task ideas, and adapt them to your family’s routines, culture and access to food.