10 tips for getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables
Getting kids to be happy about vegetables on their plates can be difficult, but we have some tips to make that battle a little easier for parents. Click through to see 10 tips from sheknows.com for getting your child to eat healthy foods.
1. The website sheknows.com suggests enforcing a 'No thank you bite' rule. The rule means you can take one bite and no more if you don't like it. Encouraging kids to taste new fruits and vegetables is better than forcing them to eat an entire serving of something they hate.
2: Keep offering them fruits and vegetables. Sheknows.com suggestions preparing the same vegetable in a different way could change a child's mind about the food. The website cites the authors of Mitch Spinach saying it takes 8-15 times of trying a vegetable before it really sticks with kids.
3. Give frozen fruits or vegetables as a snack. A frozen vegetable doesn't have the same "slimy" factor for kids as a cooked vegetable, and it has many of the nutrients that are gone when a vegetable is cooked, according to sheknows.com.
4. Serve soups. Kids love eating vegetables in a homemade soup because they don't see it as a vegetable. And if they prefer a smooth soup to a chunky soup, it's easy to blend all the vegetables together, according to sheknows.com.
5. Keep healthy foods in the house. Sheknows.com says if everything in your house is healthy, you can honestly tell a child they can have anything to snack that they want.
6. Set the example. If your child sees everyone eating healthy foods, they will want to eat healthy, according to sheknows.com.
7. Drink your fruits and vegetables. Sheknows.com suggests looking for fruit juice blends that are 100% fruit or vegetable juice, or turn your favorite fruits and vegetables into a smoothie, kids will get the essential nutrients they need.
8. Watch your words. Sheknows.com says if you tell a child they are a picky eater, they will be.
9. Make a dip. Sheknows.com says a low-fat dip or hummus with raw vegetables will make eating the vegetables easier.
10. Be sneaky. Who knew those mashed potatoes had turnips inside? Or that smoothie had spinach? What kids don't know won't hurt them. Sheknows.com suggests sneaking in those fruits and vegetables at every opportunity.
Getting kids to be happy about vegetables on their plates can be difficult, but we have some tips to make that battle a little easier for parents. Click through to see 10 tips from sheknows.com for getting your child to eat healthy foods.
1. The website sheknows.com suggests enforcing a 'No thank you bite' rule. The rule means you can take one bite and no more if you don't like it. Encouraging kids to taste new fruits and vegetables is better than forcing them to eat an entire serving of something they hate.
2: Keep offering them fruits and vegetables. Sheknows.com suggestions preparing the same vegetable in a different way could change a child's mind about the food. The website cites the authors of Mitch Spinach saying it takes 8-15 times of trying a vegetable before it really sticks with kids.
3. Give frozen fruits or vegetables as a snack. A frozen vegetable doesn't have the same "slimy" factor for kids as a cooked vegetable, and it has many of the nutrients that are gone when a vegetable is cooked, according to sheknows.com.
4. Serve soups. Kids love eating vegetables in a homemade soup because they don't see it as a vegetable. And if they prefer a smooth soup to a chunky soup, it's easy to blend all the vegetables together, according to sheknows.com.
5. Keep healthy foods in the house. Sheknows.com says if everything in your house is healthy, you can honestly tell a child they can have anything to snack that they want.
6. Set the example. If your child sees everyone eating healthy foods, they will want to eat healthy, according to sheknows.com.
7. Drink your fruits and vegetables. Sheknows.com suggests looking for fruit juice blends that are 100% fruit or vegetable juice, or turn your favorite fruits and vegetables into a smoothie, kids will get the essential nutrients they need.
8. Watch your words. Sheknows.com says if you tell a child they are a picky eater, they will be.
9. Make a dip. Sheknows.com says a low-fat dip or hummus with raw vegetables will make eating the vegetables easier.
10. Be sneaky. Who knew those mashed potatoes had turnips inside? Or that smoothie had spinach? What kids don't know won't hurt them. Sheknows.com suggests sneaking in those fruits and vegetables at every opportunity.
Getting kids to be happy about vegetables on their plates can be difficult, but we have some tips to make that battle a little easier for parents. Click through to see 10 tips from sheknows.com for getting your child to eat healthy foods.
1. The website sheknows.com suggests enforcing a 'No thank you bite' rule. The rule means you can take one bite and no more if you don't like it. Encouraging kids to taste new fruits and vegetables is better than forcing them to eat an entire serving of something they hate.
2: Keep offering them fruits and vegetables. Sheknows.com suggestions preparing the same vegetable in a different way could change a child's mind about the food. The website cites the authors of Mitch Spinach saying it takes 8-15 times of trying a vegetable before it really sticks with kids.
3. Give frozen fruits or vegetables as a snack. A frozen vegetable doesn't have the same "slimy" factor for kids as a cooked vegetable, and it has many of the nutrients that are gone when a vegetable is cooked, according to sheknows.com.
4. Serve soups. Kids love eating vegetables in a homemade soup because they don't see it as a vegetable. And if they prefer a smooth soup to a chunky soup, it's easy to blend all the vegetables together, according to sheknows.com.
5. Keep healthy foods in the house. Sheknows.com says if everything in your house is healthy, you can honestly tell a child they can have anything to snack that they want.
6. Set the example. If your child sees everyone eating healthy foods, they will want to eat healthy, according to sheknows.com.
7. Drink your fruits and vegetables. Sheknows.com suggests looking for fruit juice blends that are 100% fruit or vegetable juice, or turn your favorite fruits and vegetables into a smoothie, kids will get the essential nutrients they need.
8. Watch your words. Sheknows.com says if you tell a child they are a picky eater, they will be.
9. Make a dip. Sheknows.com says a low-fat dip or hummus with raw vegetables will make eating the vegetables easier.
10. Be sneaky. Who knew those mashed potatoes had turnips inside? Or that smoothie had spinach? What kids don't know won't hurt them. Sheknows.com suggests sneaking in those fruits and vegetables at every opportunity.
