A woman and a child smile while grocery shopping

Shopping With Kids: A Simple Way to Help Them Like More Foods

March 4, 2026 Children

A Simple Way to Help Kids Like More Foods

Getting kids to try new foods can feel hard. One helpful place to start is the grocery store. When kids get to help shop for food, they are more likely to taste and accept those foods later. Shopping together helps kids feel curious, confident, and proud of their choices.

This can be especially helpful when shopping for WIC-approved foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, eggs, and beans.

Why Shopping Together Helps

When kids are part of food choices, food feels less scary.

Shopping together helps kids:

Let Kids Help (Even Little Ones!)

Kids of all ages can help in simple ways at the grocery store. Letting them help and make choices at the grocery store helps them feel proud and more open to tasting new foods.

Toddlers and preschoolers can:

school-age kids can:

Make WIC Foods Fun To Explore

Turn shopping into a learning game. This helps remove pressure and keeps things fun and positive.

TRY THIS:

Tip!

Remember, kids don’t have to eat everything right away. Just seeing and exploring foods is a great first step.

You can say:
“We don’t have to eat it today, let’s just learn about it.”

Offer Simple Choices

Instead of asking, “What do you want?” try offering between two nutritious choices. This allows you to still guide the options, while your kids feel in control and empowered to decide.

EXAMPLES:

Keep Expectations Low

Trying a new food does not always mean loving it right away.

SUCCESS CAN LOOK LIKE:

All of these are wins! Food acceptance takes time.

Talk About Foods in a Positive Way

The words we use matter. Calm, friendly words help kids feel safe.

Try saying:

Avoid pressure like:

Bring the Store Experience Home

When kids help choose foods at the grocery store, involve them when it’s time to prepare those foods at home too. Kids are more likely to try foods they helped pick and prepare.

KIDS CAN HELP:

The Big Picture

Shopping with kids is not about perfect meals. It’s about building trust with food. Over time, these small moments help kids feel comfortable trying new foods.

And remember – you are your child’s best teacher! They learn by watching, listening, and mimicking what you do. Every trip to the store is a chance to learn, explore, and grow together.

REFERENCES:

Maternal & Child Nutrition. (2013, April 5). Fruit and vegetable exposure in children is linked to the selection of a wider variety of healthy foods at school.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3706523/

Open Journal of Preventive Medicine. (2015). Accompanying the Primary Grocery Shopper Is Positively Related to Requests for Purchase of Fruits & Vegetables in Third & Fourth Grade Students.
https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=58670

PLOS One. (2023, December 21). Perspectives on healthy eating practices and acceptance of WIC-approved foods among parents of young children enrolled in WIC.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295902

Society for Public Health Education. (2016). What Happens When Parents and Children Go Grocery Shopping? An Observational Study of Latino Dyads in Southern California, USA.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5435120/

Author: Amanda Hojnacki