Eating vegetables and fruit is good for our health as they provide the right nutrients our bodies need. However, kids can be picky eaters, and often parents find it challenging to encourage them to eat more veggies and fruit. Mt. Elizabeth Academy understands how frustrating and worrisome it can get for parents if their children aren’t interested in eating healthy food.

Here are some useful tips that can help you in encouraging your kids to eat veggies and fruit:

Ways to Add Veggies and Fruit in their Diet

Here are some tips and tricks that may work:

• Give them veggies and fruit as snacks. Keep the fruits washed, sliced, and place them in plain sight to make it easier for them to consume when they are hungry.
• Make salads are part of your dinner and lunch. Order a salad when eating out as well to make it a norm for them.
• Cook vegetarian versions of lasagna, spaghetti, and more.
• Add at least one yellow vegetable or leafy green, like carrots, greens, winter squash, broccoli, or spinach in lunch or dinner every day.
• Add at least one fruit loaded with vitamin C in their diet every day, like melon, strawberries, grapefruit, or oranges.
• Make sure to make veggies in each snack or meal. Make it a norm to have fruits as desserts.

Give Them the Control

• Allow your child to select the veggie or fruit they want to eat at the grocery store
• Make them a part of the meal preps for their meals
• Give them a cooked or raw veggie option to make them select which one they want to eat

Be Patient

• It might take several tries to encourage them to start eating veggies and fruit.
• If they prefer raw veggies, include them in snacks and dinners. Find more options for raw veggies they can enjoy instead of forcing them to eat cooked veggies.
• Become a positive role model and consume veggies and fruit.
• Be sure to encourage them to try new foods when they are in a comfortable environment.

Make Veggies and Fruit Fun to Eat

There are many ways to make it fun for kids to eat veggies and fruit. Here are a few things you can try:

• Make frozen fruit kabobs by cutting chunks of fruit, sticking sticks inside them, and freezing them. These kebobs can make a delicious and refreshing afternoon snack. Mix grapes, berries, pineapples, and melons to make it colorful.
• Make ants on logs by spreading peanut butter on celery sticks and topping it with raisins.
• Create a butterfly sandwich by spreading peanut butter on toast and adding sliced bananas. Cut the sandwich diagonally and arrange the triangles to form a butterfly shape. Take a celery stick and spread some peanut butter on it and place it on top to make the antlers.

Remember to be patient and don’t be afraid to experiment with making fruit and veggies fun for them. You can get more tips and advice from the many resources offered by Mt. Elizabeth Academy. We are a daycare center offering after-school programs, vacation camp, pre-K, and other early learning activities for families in Acworth, Marietta, Kennesaw, and other areas. Get in touch with us today for more information.