A healthy childhood starts with healthy habits
11 June 2026
A healthy childhood lays the foundation for a healthy future. Children who eat healthily, get enough exercise and sleep well not only develop physically, but also have more energy to learn, play and explore. During Healthy Youth Week, extra attention is drawn to the importance of a healthy lifestyle for children. It is a great opportunity to reflect on the role that healthy food plays in the daily lives of young and old alike.
Healthy habits start early
The eating habits children develop at a young age often stay with them into later life. That is why it is important to introduce children to a varied selection of fruit and vegetables from an early age. These foods provide important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, which contribute to healthy growth and development.
Children don’t have to be immediately enthusiastic about every new flavour. In fact, it’s quite normal for a child to need to try something several times. By offering fruit and vegetables in a positive and relaxed way, the chances increase that healthy choices will become a natural part of their daily diet.
Discovering and tasting together
Children learn by doing. Going shopping together, washing vegetables, cutting fruit or preparing a meal makes food tangible and fun. When children are involved in cooking, they are often more curious about what’s on their plate.
Colourful and surprising dishes can also help make fruit and vegetables more appealing. By varying flavours, colours and preparation methods, healthy eating remains interesting and children discover new favourites in a playful way.
Inspiration for the whole family
Anyone looking for ideas on how to serve more fruit and vegetables can visit Veggipedia. Here you’ll find hundreds of recipes that show just how versatile fruit and vegetables are – from breakfast to snacks, and from lunch to dinner.
For children, for example, fruity snacks such as strawberry skewers are a fun way to serve fruit. A refreshing pineapple and spinach smoothie with mint also shows how fruit and vegetables can be easily combined. For a nutritious breakfast, recipes such as After Eight oats are a tasty option to start the day.
By regularly trying out new recipes together, healthy eating becomes not only nutritious, but also enjoyable and inspiring.
Balance, enjoyment and development
A healthy childhood isn’t about eating perfectly or always making the right choices. It’s about balance, enjoyment and developing habits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Healthy Childhood Week reminds us how important that foundation is, but attention to growing up healthily deserves a place all year round.