5 tips for grocery shopping with children

The next time you go to the grocery store with your children, avoid meltdowns and tug of wars over food purchases by making it fun. These simple tips can help.

 1.   Pre-pack healthy, convenient snacks, such as baby carrots or cheese and crackers, to avoid impulse purchases and allow more time for shopping. 

2.   Involve children in food choices, particularly in the produce aisle. Ask them to pick out a fruit and vegetable, talk to them about why they chose it and allow them to try it as a snack or at mealtime! 

3.   Spend more time shopping on the outer aisles of the store, where foods tend to be less processed and healthier.

4.   Make learning fun by playing a game like "I spy" in the produce section. This will help your children learn the names of different vegetables and fruit.

5.   Use your grocery store outing to educate your children about where their food comes from, why one food is healthier than another and engage them in reading food labels to compare products. 

With these tips in hand, your next grocery shopping trip with your children is guaranteed to be stress-free!