Contributor post from Chidinma of Fruitful Kitchen
If you’re a parent, you surely had one of those stressful situations when you’re trying to persuade your little one to eat apple or orange. Their reaction was probably something like this “Mommy, I don’t like that and why do I have to eat it?
And after they would burst into tears, you would finally give up on your goal. What if I say to you that there is no more need for stressing out about that because we’ve found some tricks that will help your kid to start loving fruits?
We know how important is for our kids to eat fruits and to create healthy habits, so they can be healthy and full of positive energy. Moreover, they will be eager to play and learn after intake of vitamins. When comes to creating healthier habits, we always say that can be done only step by step, otherwise, a child won’t like it.
5 Creative Ways That Will Help Your Kids to Fall In Love With Fruits
#1. Add Fruits to Their Favorite Food and Watch The Smile on Their Face
Being a parent involves a lot of creativity on a daily basis, whether itís about food or games. However, we need to be sneaky from time to time, but itís not a bad thing if weíre helping our kids. What better way to make them eat fruits than to prepare their favorite meals and put some fruits in it?
For example, if they love pancakes (Who doesnít love them?), take the advantage of it and add berries or whatever you think they might like. Believe me, in combination with their favorite chocolate filling, they wonít even notice and even if they do, they will like it. Weeks ago, I tried to put some pieces of banana in this oat pancake, and my boys ate the whole cake without any notice of the fruits there!
Now give it a try and talk to your kids about why eating fruits is important.
#2. Don’t Give Up Under Any Circumstances
Without a doubt, trying out all these types of fruits, before your child actually starts liking them, can be a challenging task. However, you cannot give up because they have to realize that fruit is essential for their body to work properly.
We would suggest you to always speak optimistic about trying out new fruit and to be a role model to them. When they see you enjoying eating strawberries they will eventually come to a conclusion that it must be something good since you love it.
What you can do right away, is that you should put a bowl of fruit on the table so they would be curious about it, whenever they see it. The bowl of fruit is just perfect when they want to take a break from playing and when they need a burst of energy.
#3. It’s All About Choices!
Every parent who had tried to persuade the kid to do something knows that is a dead-end situation. Children are intelligent and wise, so use that to make a beautiful cooperation with them. Like adults, children also love to give their opinions on various subjects, so they will gladly share what fruit they might try.
Make a schedule with your kid, for example, every Monday go with him to the grocery store and enjoy the shopping. Encourage your kid to try out whatever he might like whether it would be a banana or grape.
Not only he will find choosing fruits more interesting but he will also start to eat them on a regular basis.
#4. Replace Candies With Fruits (And Hope That They Will Love It)
Little by little, you should make your kids eat more fruits and fewer candies. They need an opportunity to discover that fruits are their friends rather than enemies. So, next time when they’re watching cartoons, put a bowl of fruit (a more colorful fruit it is, the more they will be eager to eat it) before them and then leave them alone.
At first, they won’t pay attention to fruits, but after a while, they will be attracted by various colors. It’s important that they eat as much as they want, otherwise, they might become angry with you. In that case, say goodbye to making them eat fruits again (maybe it’s better to say, never again).
#5. Try Out New Recipes – Be Creative!
The same, classic pancakes and other meals can be boring to adults let alone to kids. So, be wise and always search for new recipes because as long as youíre trying, there is a bigger chance that you will find recipes that your kids will love.
We love making these pancakes with raspberry syrup, where you can also add different fruits. Be creative and determined to make meals that will be a win-win situation for both, your kids and you.
Now that you have this helpful information on how to get your kids to eat more fruits, we hope that youíre ready to try this tricks. Donít forget that you have to help them to see fruits like something interesting. Try out various colors and when you cut fruit, create different shapes because when you find funny ways to get them eat fruits, they will be eating it every day.
Author Bio
Chidinma is the founder and author behind Fruitful Kitchen, a blog that shares delicious recipes and lifestyle tips. Fruitful Kitchen is about bringing different people in to enjoy good, healthy food, while giving them the chance to feel free to talk about their experiences in life. Most of her recipes help women with fertility issues, especially fibroids, PCOS, and Endometriosis. Sometimes, however, you will find other interesting recipes, as well as cooking tips and tricks there. You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/chidinma_zee and Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/fruitful_kitche
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
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