Did you know that the US Dept. of Agriculture recommends children eat 2 to 3 servings of fruit per day, but that the average child (age 6 to 11) gets only 1.4 servings per day? How have you gotten your kids’ to eat more fruit?
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
There are lots of different methods to try. Here are a few:
~ Get lots of different types of fruit - they may not like apples and bananas, persay, so buy peaches, pears, pineapples, or watermelon. Find a fruit they like; chances are, there's one out there.
~ Sneak food into their diet. Make strawberry smoothies, sprinkle blueberries on top of their waffles in the morning, bake it into pancakes, bread, or muffins - what they don't know won't hurt them!
~ Tell them how good fruit is for them. Tell them they need fruit to grow big and strong.
~ Eat fruit yourself. Set a good example and eat fruit in their presence. If mommy and daddy love fruit, then it'll be easier for your child to eat it, too.
~ Make it fun for them to eat healthier. Make faces out of fruit, build castles with watermelon blocks or banana slices; I know you shouldn't play with food, but it will give them the nutrition they need and will provide a bonding experience.
~ Give them vitamins if they are old enough - this will give them the vitamins and nutrients they need so they won't be totally deprived.
~ Talk to your child's doctor or pediatrician - they'll probably have smart ways to get your child to eat a sufficient amount of fruit.
Good luck!
Will in Spain
The answer is NO! they do not dislike fruits. They dislike un-ripened fruits that are sold in supermarkets. These fruits are havested before they are ripe and are tasteless and generally hard and dry.
the way to ensure that your children eat more fruit is:- Two things, eat more fruit yourself, to set an example and put some fruit on their plate. It can be a sauce to go with a main meat dish. Apple, Apricot, Red current, Cranberry sauces are great to intraduce the flavours of the the fruits. Yoghurt with fruit is another step on the way and then add some fresh fruit to the yoghurt.
How many thousands of people buy fruit and leave it in a bowl or the refridgerator for weeks and then throw it away? It never tasted good when freshly bought and just shriveled up over the next weeks.
Apples are about he only fruit that you can buy and eat the same day. Pears, Bananas, Strawberries, Melons, Papaya, Mango and any number of other fruits are inedible one the day that they are bought., and they only begin to rot when taken home. Oranges and lemons do survive some time in the fruit bowl. Cherries are generally good due to their short seasonal availabilty: peaches are a complete dilema, they are either lovely and juicy or dry and tasteless, they look the same but are not!
A pineapple will never taste good unless you live in the tropics.
Summer wild fruits are gorgouse, blackberries, raspberries, red and black currents if you can find them before the birds have taken them. They do grow in the countryside, uncultivated.
I think that any child would love the taste of just about ant fruit that was of good quality and ripe. Some might not like the texture of certain fruits, but I am sure that they will love others, even if they are out of a tin can.
Sunday P
The best way is just like the advertizers do to get you to buy junk food. What you do is stick Dora the Explorer stickers on the apple or banana, or what ever character your child likes. You would be surprized at how well it works! This works for smaller children really well, but if they are bigger I would say pick some really sweet fruits like strawberries or kiwi, or oranges, you might have to do the work on oranges but if offered they will eat them. Explain the difference between healthy food and junk food and how eating nature's candy will give them plenty of energy for play. And mom (or dad) lead by example and eat fruit too. Bananas may ward off depression, and all fruits give you sustained energy and keep your mind focused and running clearly.
Another little thing about fruit, it takes more calories to digest a fruit than is in the fruit, simply adding fruit to your diet can help you lose or maintain your weight.
Mary A
Don't push. Present fruit as part of a meal, and make a point of everyone enjoying it. Bananas mix well into pancakes and breads and can be disguised in oatmeal. Raisins can go into some savory rice dishes, and many fruits incorporate well into salads. Try putting fruit into jello. Tiny fruit like blueberries and little grapes are sometimes more appealing.
Try mixing fruits with another favorite food. Peanut butter is great with apple slices, or dip strawberries into some melted chocolate chips.
Take them to the grocery with you and let them pick something exotic that will be an adventure for both of you, like a pomegranate, a papaya or a new kind of melon. Then research on the internet what you can do with it and what country eats this commonly.
And kids are more likely to eat when they are hungry! Offer fruit as the only option after school. They will give it a shot. Sometimes it is just a mindset, and they have to get over it.
Elaine
Well I'm not a mother or a parent for that matter, I'm only a teenager, but I could provide some insight. Habits are formed at an early age, and I think the solution for avoiding bad ones is to limit exposure to unhealthy things that kids would obviously want more of. Don't give them candy unless they ask for it (so you're not totally depriving your child) but why would they ask for it if they haven't really been exposed to it? You want to give them fruits & vegetables and they will probably get used to it and love it. Obviously that is not true for everyone as everyone has different likes and dislikes when it comes to food, but at least your child will be more tolerant and accepting of fruits & vegetables the more you give from an early age. You see, my parents rarely gave me any candy or soda when I was a child. I didn't have to live my life on fruits and vegetables - theres more to food than fruits and vegetables - but I still got real NUTRITIOUS food. So, needless to say, I have no problem with vegetables and I LOVE fruit. Growing up, I rarely wanted candy or sweets. Occasionally when I felt like it I would want some but it never became a habit or something I needed, which is a problem in many children today. Today I drink soda VERY rarely because I never got it as a kid. Also, from my observations, is it extremely difficult to FORCE your child to eat something. Do not force, but encourage. If you nag your children to eat more they probably won't like it any more - and that's the key thing. The child has to LIKE fruits, vegetables, healthy food, etc. Teach them the importance of health and teach them to make good decisions. If you do it right, they'll listen. :)