Finding creative ways to encourage fruits and vegetables in your child’s diet can be fun for the entire family.


All of us need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables so that our bodies will be healthy enough to fight illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. But getting your child to appreciate this wisdom can be an entirely different matter. If you find it hard to persuade your child to eat fresh produce, you’re not alone. The typical kid’s diet falls way short in this area. Even if you send a perfectly balanced lunch to school, chances are your little darling will swap her fresh orange for her friend’s Twinkies. (Mine did!)Trying to force her to eat certain things is a losing battle, and power struggles over food can set the stage for adolescent eating disorders. So what can you do?

Fortunately, young children are at a great age for working together to “strive for five” servings of fruits and veggies each day (1serving = 1/2 a cup).  Start by observing what you and your family actually do eat. Remember that your child will want to copy whatever she sees you doing. Next, think back to a time when there was something you really hated and somebody made you eat it. Your own memories of YUCK! can help you remain sympathetic as you teach your child how to eat for health.

You don’t have to be a nutritionist, chef, or gardener to feed your young child well.  At this age, the simplest foods are often the most appealing. Kids will generally prefer raw produce over cooked, so preparation can be as easy as washing an apple.  And you don’t have to add sugar. Here are some tips to help with persuasion:

Start with appetizers

While you’re making dinner, offer her carrots and Ranch dip, or apples and peanut butter. Hunger will probably motivate her to sample them, and they can become part of the dinner routine.

Make it pretty

Serve your fruit/veggie bites in an ice-cube tray, a muffin tin, or a colorful chip-and-dip platter. Or make mini-fruit-kebobs with toothpicks and small pieces of fruits such as bananas, grapes, and strawberries. For school, let her take pre-packaged Bugs Bunny baby carrots or fruit cups (once in a while ).

Make it fun

Pour some milk or juice into the blender, add fresh or frozen fruit, and voila-- instant smoothie! Cut cucumbers into circles and let her squirt squeeze-cheese on top. Or cut them into half-circles (a.k.a. ‘crocodile smiles’), lean your head back, place one on your mouth, then open and snap!
Slice bananas into circles or separate a bunch of grapes. Place your fruit in baggies and freeze. In the fridge, keep a bowl handy of cucumber, baby corn or what ever veggie your child enjoys. You can then find healthy snacks at any time.

Make it together

Buy frozen sweet potato fries and let her pour them onto the baking sheet. Or give her a plastic knife and let her help you make pear fries(raw) or ants on a log (celery stuffed with cream cheese and raisins). If you have time, you can work together to make vegetable soup or quiche Florentine. Slice citrus in half and use a manual juicer to make fresh-squeezed orange juice or lemonade.

Make it alone

Spaghetti sauce can hide almost anything, so go ahead and throw in some squash, onions, or bell peppers, finely diced and sautéed. The same goes for your next pot of chili.

By using these tips as a springboard for your imagination, you should soon be well on your way to incorporating a steady stream of fruits and veggies into your child’s diet while minimizing power struggles.
Bon appétit!

Tip - Not sure exactly how much fruit and veggies your child needs? The MyPyramid Plan for Your Preschooler has a great tool to find out exactly the amount of fruit and vegetables children between the ages of 2-5 need according to age and activity level.

If you would like to see what 1 cup of fruits or veggies looks like - Fruits & Veggies Matter have some easy to understand photos of fruit and veggies servings.

By Dr. Karen Struble

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