6 More Ways To Get Your Children To Eat Fruit & Veg
Earlier this week, we gave you 6 Ways To Get Your Children To Eat Fruit & Veg
We know it’s not easy getting your children to actually enjoy eating fruit and vegetables, especially when they’re bombarded with images of ‘exciting’ processed foods.
Coercing them with the ‘eat your veg and you can then have dessert’ tactic has also been proven to be detrimental.
It actually solidifies the concept that natural foods are a ‘chore’, and the reward is ‘the bad stuff’.
This way of thinking has been proven to increase the chances of having food related issues in the future, such as obesity due to comfort eating or, conversely, anorexia or bulimia.
We’re not trying to scare you. In most cases, children grown up just fine!
But, when they no longer see fruit and veg as foods that have to be eaten so they can be rewarded with more exciting foods, but foods that are rewards in themselves, you’re now winning the battle!
So, we’ve thought of 6 more ways to get some fresh produce into them!
1) Make vegetable ribbons
Even as an adult, we have to admit, some vegetables, such as cucumber, zucchini, carrots etc are not hugely exciting.
Transform them into spirals and ribbons, and the same boring vegetables are likely to be devoured by your kids!
Hot tip!
Use a peeler with julienne teeth to easily make ribbons from any fruit and vegetable and make a fun salad. Or you can even substitute spaghetti with spirals of zucchini or swede for an alternative Bologna!
2) Get your kids to eat broccoli stems
Again, this is not just restricted to kids as even adults don’t like broccoli stems.
They are tough and just not as nice as florets. Just use your vegetable peeler to slice off the outer layer.
This reveals the inner tender flesh. Watch everyone wolf down the stems as fast as the florets!
3) Add coconut ‘sprinkles’
You can add the goodness of fresh coconut to any treats you want to give your children.
Take a slice of coconut flesh and use a grater on a coarse grate to grate it directly on top.
4) Make your own fruit ice cream
Frozen banana is a great alternative to ice cream, and just as delicious!
Freeze some bananas, and then use a food grater to grate the bananas (from frozen) into bowls.
Add melted chocolate on top, or whatever you like!
5) Make cauliflower rice
Use a cheese grater to grate the head of a cauliflower and boil to make fun 'alternative' rice.
You could even use the grated cauliflower to make a pizza crust. Just make sure you squeeze out the moisture well with a kitchen towel, so the crust is not soggy going into an oven.
6) Add dried fruit to desserts and treats
Keep dried fruits such as apricots, prunes etc in the cupboard. Use your kitchen shears to snip small bits of dried fruit over any treat.
Yes, it’s only a small amount of fruit, but it’s the small additions that make a big cumulative difference over time.
Remember, try not to use bargaining tactics with children. Instead, make your fruits and vegetables the ‘reward!’
Comments
Albert Park#1
Mmmm I really love the number 4 idea, I remember my mom would often freeze bananas as an ice cream alternative. Brings back good memories, and really yummy, would recommend!
Kwang Myung Kim#2
I have a little niece who would not eat any kind of vegetables unless my sister forces unto her. Thank you for presenting these great ideas. I am going to suggest these ideas to my sister and I think she would very much appreciate it. Thank you Chef Remi!
jamila#3
I love how you’re using simple strategy’s to get your child to eat vegetables, and how you’re describing it, you make it look so easy.
Kayci#4
My kids love fruits and veggies so I have no problem getting them to chow down. I’m always looking for new ways to present healthy foods and your blog does the trick. I’ll have to try the coconut sprinkles (yum). Although I’ve never made ice cream. fruit ice cream seems worth any possible hassle.
Emma Burns#5
When I was a kid I loved fruit but my mother said it was too expensive. Now, with my children they won’t touch the stuff. I’m definitely going to try the fruit ice cream. My kids will hopefully love that.
Eugene#6
Wow, that’s nice. The number 4 idea just like for Albert, sends me special memories. Mum used to add some butter on top of the ice cream for us and it was awesome!
Walter K. Niles#7
Its really good , thank you.
Vickibeecroft#8
My toddler has always hated peas but lately he wont eat any fruit or veg so its a relief so see im not alone. The fruit ice cream sounds like an amazing idea along with the veg ribbons, i will 100% be giving your tips a try.
L Tenn#9
My kids struggle with wanting to eat any veggies so I love some of these ideas. We will definitely be trying the coconut sprinkles, as they do love coconut. The vegetable ribbons also sound like my kids might go for those!
c_allen#10
I find some of this helpful for myself! I have an aversion to the textures of most fruits and some vegetables, so to julienne or grate them helps a lot because the smaller surface area helps me keep them down easier. Also, I find that dried fruit is sometimes the only way I can eat certain fruit, since that changes the texture completely and makes it a lot more manageable to swallow.