Creating a clean, green family menu begins with small steps.

Terry Walters, author of the best-selling cookbook “Clean Food” and the recently released “Clean Start,” advocates quick, easy family meals that are healthy, tasty and good for the planet.

And as the mom of two children, ages 13 and 10, she knows that getting children to try something new is often a big battle.

“I wanted to give people the tools to eat foods that are full of nutritional value every day so we can nourish ourselves,” Walters said by phone from her Connecticut home. “‘Clean’ is minimally processed. You know you are close to the source if there is no packaging. Small steps can have huge benefits. Big steps from one extreme to another, they throw us a curve ball.”

Walters said parents can move their families toward cleaner eating through gradual steps. For example, she recommends moving from pre-sweetened instant oatmeal to quick-cooking oats before the switch to regular oats.

“Put the regular rolled oats in a pot overnight so it takes half the time in the morning,” she said.

The journey from processed to clean, green eating requires time and steps that will change taste buds over time.

“Start with something green or go to the produce section each week and buy something you’ve never bought before,” she said. “If you like half the foods, at the end of the year, that’s 26 new foods.”

Walters said letting children help at the grocery store or in the garden can inspire them to try new foods.

“The more we involve our children, the more we empower them to make the choices,” she said. “We have a lot of judgments about food. If you are thinking, ‘They are never going to eat that kale,’ they aren’t going to eat it. Those judgments get in the way of how we nourish ourselves.”

Letting children pick food in the colors of the rainbow, both in the store and at meal times, lets them develop clean eating habits, according to Walters. And even though it took her kids two years to really like kale, Walters said greening her kitchen hasn’t left them feeling deprived.

“Eighty percent of the time we eat at home and the other 20 percent of the time, you aren’t going to have to worry, because your health is good,” she said. “Eighty percent of the time is enough to change their tastes. They know there is a connection between how they eat and how they feel.”

To ease the transition to a green kitchen, Walters recommended partnering with another mom.

“Find a friend who wants to do it with you,” she said. “Share the journey. Your children might like one thing and your friend’s children might like something totally different. Baby steps are big. Sharing the journey makes it more successful.”

Tips for a clean, green start:

Terry Walters, author of the best-selling cookbook “Clean Food,” offered these tips for families looking to change their eating habits.

• Replace items gradually. When an item runs out, replace it with a greener one that has fewer ingredients.

• Start a garden. Try a few simple seedlings, such as lettuces or herbs. Allow your child to choose a package of seeds to tend and grow on her own.

• Let your child make her own salad dressing using simple, green ingredients like lemon juice and herbs. An older child might enjoy using an immersion blender — with supervision from mom or dad — to create dressings.

• Serve foods family style and allow children to be responsible for setting their own portions.

• Set up a burrito or taco bar loaded with healthful ingredients. Children will have fun and are empowered to make good choices.

• Eat with the seasons. Choosing locally grown items that are in greatest supply results in healthful options and lower food bills.