Tips for getting kids to eat Fruits and Veggies
Childhood is the best time address the issue of good nutrition. This is when eating habits are formed, and what we do as parents can be a lifelong gift of healthy eating and better health for our kids.
We hope you will find these tips helpful in encouraging your kids to eat more Fruits and Vegetables:
Prepare Meals Together: This is a wonderful family-bonding time and kids love to feel as though they’re contributing. Bring kids into the kitchen starting at a young age. Toddlers can wash and rip lettuce, preschoolers can measure and stir, and older kids can find recipes and help create meals. We realize that it’s more time consuming, and not something that is reasonable for every meal. Weekends might be a good time to add a little helper or two in your kitchen! Children are far more likely to dig into a new dish if they helped prepare it!
Keep Fruits and Vegetables in Sight: Stock your fridge full of washed and ready to eat fruits and veggies. Having them cut up in slices makes it even easier for your kids to reach in and grab a quick healthy snack. Kids are usually driven by taste, not health. If your kitchen is filled with cookies, chips and other junk foods, then the healthy stuff won’t really stand a chance. So fill your house with healthy foods and keep the treats for special occasions!
Take them Grocery Shopping: Yes we know this can sometimes be a recipe for disaster but having your kids occasionally take part in the grocery shopping experience is good for them…and it can be fun. Allow them to select an exotic fruit or vegetable that they have never sampled before and turn it into a taste adventure! Make a game out of who can spy certain fruits or vegetables. Keep it fun!
Serve a Fruit or Vegetable with Every Meal: Ever Day with Every Meal, fruits and veggies should be on the daily menu. If you start kids eating fresh produce early, it becomes commonplace to have fruits and veggies on their plate, and they won’t think anything of it.
Keep it Simple: Don’t get too fancy with the way your prep your food! Veggies taste best when you don’t do too much to them. Eating them raw seems to be a favorite. Overcooking them is a big problem!!!! This causes a mushy texture and that is really not appealing! It’s best to simply steam them just until they are tender crisp, a few minutes is usually enough. One of the reasons children dislike certain foods is because of a poor experience they’ve had so do them a favour and keep it simple and tasty!
Be a good Role Model: If you expect your child to eat vegetables, you need to be eating them, too. Children learn from their parents, so model the behavior you wish to see in your child. Sitting at the family dinner together, pleasurably eating a balanced diet, will get the right message across.
Eat the Same Meals: Making a special “kids menu” is unnecessary and time consuming. Don’t start the habit of serving different menus for everyone as you’ll end up with a house full of picky eaters and a lot of extra work in the kitchen! If a toddler is hungry, theywill want to eat. If they have no option but the meal on the table, they are much more likely to give it a try. Beyond infancy, children can be gradually introduced to the family diet, and eat whatever you eat in smaller portions.
“Just a Little” helpings: Forcing kids to eat may actually increase their dislike of foods. Studies show that parents who use pressure usually have kids who actually eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Encourage them to try new foods without insisting that they clean their entire plate. Seeing a big helping on a plate can be intimidating! We suggest “Just a Little” helpings when something new is introduced. If the kids say no way, simply dish out a just a little helping and let them know that it needs to be eaten. Small servings are easier to handle and they can always go back for more if they like it! Kids need to be exposed to, and ideally taste, a new food as many as 10 to 15 times before they’ll accept it. These small helpings will encourage this process of acquiring a taste for certain foods.
Serve when Hungry: Serve fruits and veggies to kids when they’re hungry. If the option is either produce or nothing they will go for the food!
Teach them: Discuss how their bodies work and why it’s important to fill our bodies with healthy nutritous food!
By keeping your child’s likes and dislikes in mind, serving small portions and encouraging them to try new foods, you will help to create a positive attitude towards healthy eating.
If you’d like to share any tips on getting little ones to eat their fruits and veggies please send us an email through our Contact form!
