Chef K Shares Five Practical Ways to Get Kids to Eat Healthier Foods

Khristianne Uy, a Los Angeles-based private chef and content creator, offers a set of five tips for parents seeking to expand their children's diets. She begins by establishing "forever" and "never" lists that record foods children like or dislike, complemented by color-coded categories to guide meal planning. Next, she advises chefs to incorporate new ingredients alongside the family's favorite pantry items, such as swapping in brown-rice pasta for traditional mac and cheese.

She stresses making the kitchen a welcoming space, using storytelling and shared tasting to reduce intimidation. To ease acceptance of novel foods, she transforms them into familiar formats—like air-fried carrot sticks served with ketchup. Lastly, she recommends letting kids choose or barter for new toppings, turning cooking into a collaborative activity.