Children First: Getting children to eat healthy

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Getting your kids to eat healthy food can be challenging.

But bright colors and a hands-on approach in the kitchen can go a long way.

It's a busy morning in the Telesmanic kitchen: washing, peeling and chopping fresh vegetables and fruits

for lunch. Alexandria and Caroline Telesmanic of Clovis enjoy making meals.

"I like eating healthy. It's also fun," said Alexandria.

Six year old Caroline smiles and shares some of her favorites ,"Fruit: watermelon.

Vegetable: snap peas."

The girls' mother, Shayna Telesmanic, loves to get her kids involved with meal prep, especially making

their lunch for school.

"Our theory is just eat the rainbow every morning. It takes only a couple minutes to throw it all together.

They grab all the ingredients of the fridge and sometimes I'll make it sometimes they make it

themselves. But we try to make sure we have all the colors a little bit of protein maybe one little

sweet treat," said Telesmanic.

Telesmanic, known as Chef Shayna , is an author, food blogger and ran a cooking school for kids

for many years. She has a passion for connecting families to healthy options.

"To get kids to eat healthy what I've always done is just make food fun. Let kids explore.

So starting from when they were toddlers. Letting them quite honestly play with their food.

I would use ice trays and put different fruits and vegetables in the trays so they could try

different things," Telesmanic says.

She says you can use butter knives, kids knives or even pizza cutters to help kids learn how to chop up items.

Telesmanic says," Kids can easily make salad from an early age. You can use the special salad knives.

Or even if you just rip it. The more they can touch it and get hands on. It may not look pretty

but it still tastes the same." The family has has taken steps to learn about their food, and even

grows their own. The girls showed Amanda Venegas their garden.

"It's a roly poly," said Caroline.

Telesmanic says the garden has helped connect them to the growing process and given them

appreciation for their food. The girls hosted a garden party for their friends.

One of her biggest tips to parents is to give kids a say in what they want to eat and present them with

healthy options.

Telesmanic says," Getting them involved in the kitchen. If they make it there going to be more inclined

to eat it. Because it's their pride. Their work."

She also recommends having easy access to produce in fridge and a snack drawer with approved

items. As for those picky eaters, she says don't give up.

"I think it's Important to try things multiple times. I think they say it takes six times to change your taste buds.

So if they try a tomato and they don't like it the first time, well let's maybe try again, " said Telesmanic.

Telesmanic makes one dinner for the whole family and says a shared healthy meal can unite families.

"Our kids bodies are growing more rapidly than ours. They need to eat just as healthy as we do.

Not only for their performance but also to set them up for the rest of their lives," Telesmanic added.

A lifetime of good habits that could help lead to a healthy life.