Fruits and vegetables are a must for any diet especially for children. Explore the article below on teaching children to eat fruits and vegetables.

Teaching Children To Eat Fruits And Vegetables

How to get the kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, especially when they only want to eat pizzas and French fries, is a problem faced by almost all the parents. Most of the parents are at their wits end devising ways in which they can make kids take at least a little bite of these healthy foods. Starting early certainly helps, as feeding fruits and vegetables to toddlers is less difficult than what you will have to undergo if you keep a bowl of fruits in front of your grownup children. If you do not serve fruits and vegetables in your meals then children are less likely to develop this as a habit. What you eat will always influence what your children eat. A recent study has found that, “children's food preferences and food-intake patterns may be shaped largely by what foods parents choose to make available to children and the persistence in presenting a food that is initially rejected”. Thus in order to teach children to eat fruits and vegetables, the best way is to lead by example. After that, you can adopt the various other methods. To know more on this, go through the article given below on how to teach children to eat fruits and vegetables.
 
How To Teach Children To Eat Fruits And Vegetables 
  • First, attract the kids to the fruits and vegetables. In the counter or the table always keep a bowl of fresh fruits so that it can be an easy snack on the run.
  • Every meal should contain a serving of fruits and vegetables. You can also prepare entrees, side dishes, and soups with cut or grated vegetables. Prepare smoothies with frozen fruits and also top off cereals with fruits.
  • Even when dining out order more of fruits, salads, soups, and vegetable side dishes.
  • Keep fresh fruits and vegetables in the kitchen so that you can prepare quick meals and snacks using these.
  • Set a daily fruit and vegetable goal and give a reward to the winner. Challenge them to reach their goal.
  • Add all types of fruits and vegetables but include more of those that are the favorite with the kids. Allow them to choose which fruits and vegetables to include in their meals and which to serve.
  • Bring the element of fun in the food. Cut the vegetables and fruits into different shapes like faces and smiles. You can do this best with sandwiches and salads.
  • Keep trying to feed them fruits and vegetables, as much as you can so that they develop a taste for it.
  • Kids do not like those foods that have a distinct smell, flavor, or color. So, make the fruits and vegetables appealing by seasoning them or mixing them with other items.
  • Offer different types of fruits and vegetables by combining them with old favorites so that the child gets used to the different smell, textures, and colors. Mix fruits with yogurt or vegetables with pasta and various such combinations.
  • Involve your children in the preparation of fruits and vegetables for meals and snacks. They will find it more appealing and eat them without much coaxing. You can also take them to a grocery store and let them pick which fruits and vegetables they want to eat at home.
  • Gardening is also another way to make the kids eat fruits and vegetables. Encourage them to plant the seeds and then harvest the vegetables and fruits. They are more likely to eat what they have grown. 

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