Fruits and vegetables provide some of the best nourishment of any foods, but they are often the most difficult food to get kids – and adults – to eat. I have two young kids and have recently hit the stage where my daughter Avery, now two, certainly has an opinion about what she eats. Her younger brother, Jake, is only six months old, but will soon have the opportunity to eat real food, too.
Here are a few of my tricks to ensure that my family consumes five servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables a day.
· I either use organic vegetable baby food or I’ll puree vegetables and add to all of my mixes such as muffins, pancakes, French toast, macaroni and cheese, meat loaf... you name it, I add vegetable puree. My husband does not like vegetables, so I have to be creative and this is one way to do it.
· I make a lot of smoothies for the family and add a special ingredient that my family never detects - fresh spinach. Spinach really has no taste and when mixed in a blender along with milk or yogurt, fresh fruit and even some peanut butter or flaxseed, my family gets a well balanced treat. A smoothie mix with spinach also makes for a great summer treat.
· While adding puree or baby food to meals is certainly beneficial and helps ensure your family gets the proper servings of fruits and vegetables, I also think it’s important to keep introducing actual fruits and vegetables to my kids. I’ve found that the way the food is displayed to be key. For instance, a plain apple slice or banana may not cut it for my daughter; she isn’t interested. But, when I add peanut butter to her apples, bananas or pears she thinks it’s a great treat. I also add melted cheese to carrots, broccoli, etc.
· I try and set a good example by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables in front of my daughter and letting her see how much I enjoy them. She watches me dip raw vegetables in a healthy low fat dip and she wants to try it, too. We’ve shared many fun vegetable eating sessions this way.
· I also add chopped vegetables to my homemade breads, omelets and other meals so she sees the vegetables, but they are blended in with other ingredients.
I’ve found great success using these methods. I think it’s important to start good healthy eating habits early on so that kids develop a likeness for fruits and vegetables. It’s also important to keep reintroducing the fruits and veggies that young kids reject and try new ways to serve it. Appetites and tastes can vary day to day, so just because kids turn it down one day doesn’t mean they’ll never eat it. Persistence, creativity and most important, commitment are important for providing healthy eating habits and meals for your family. It’s certainly not always easy, but the rewards are lifesaving.
Here are a few of my tricks to ensure that my family consumes five servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables a day.
· I either use organic vegetable baby food or I’ll puree vegetables and add to all of my mixes such as muffins, pancakes, French toast, macaroni and cheese, meat loaf... you name it, I add vegetable puree. My husband does not like vegetables, so I have to be creative and this is one way to do it.
· I make a lot of smoothies for the family and add a special ingredient that my family never detects - fresh spinach. Spinach really has no taste and when mixed in a blender along with milk or yogurt, fresh fruit and even some peanut butter or flaxseed, my family gets a well balanced treat. A smoothie mix with spinach also makes for a great summer treat.
· While adding puree or baby food to meals is certainly beneficial and helps ensure your family gets the proper servings of fruits and vegetables, I also think it’s important to keep introducing actual fruits and vegetables to my kids. I’ve found that the way the food is displayed to be key. For instance, a plain apple slice or banana may not cut it for my daughter; she isn’t interested. But, when I add peanut butter to her apples, bananas or pears she thinks it’s a great treat. I also add melted cheese to carrots, broccoli, etc.
· I try and set a good example by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables in front of my daughter and letting her see how much I enjoy them. She watches me dip raw vegetables in a healthy low fat dip and she wants to try it, too. We’ve shared many fun vegetable eating sessions this way.
· I also add chopped vegetables to my homemade breads, omelets and other meals so she sees the vegetables, but they are blended in with other ingredients.
I’ve found great success using these methods. I think it’s important to start good healthy eating habits early on so that kids develop a likeness for fruits and vegetables. It’s also important to keep reintroducing the fruits and veggies that young kids reject and try new ways to serve it. Appetites and tastes can vary day to day, so just because kids turn it down one day doesn’t mean they’ll never eat it. Persistence, creativity and most important, commitment are important for providing healthy eating habits and meals for your family. It’s certainly not always easy, but the rewards are lifesaving.
