Insider’s Viewpoint: Making Fruits & Veggies Fun!

As a dietitian in a supermarket, I love to take kids on a tour of the grocery store and hunt for yummy and healthy food. The easiest place to do this is the produce section because you know that anything you pick up in your cart is a healthy choice!

6 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited about Fruits & Veggies

1. Try something new. There are hundreds of fruit and veggie choices, so start a list and pick a new item each week. All it takes is one little taste and you might discover your new fav!
2. Eat from the rainbow. You can find all the colors of the rainbow in the produce area so gather one from each color. This makes your plate more colorful and fun, and you’ll be getting a range of nutrients. Kids will have fun charting all the colors and produce they have tried.
3. Make a game of trying unusual fruits. Put a fruit or veggie in a bag and see if you can guess what it is by feeling it and smelling it. A kiwi is small and furry; a pineapple is large and has scales. Using your other senses to discover fruits and veggies can be a new experience for kids.
4. Blind taste test. Most produce items have different varieties, and different tastes. Kids might try one type and think they don’t like all varieties of that item. Pick out several types of apples (or other produce) and create a blind taste test to see if the kids can name which variety they tried. This is also fun to do at local apple orchards where there are more varieties than in the supermarket.
5. Food art. There are so many fun ways to turn food into art. Make a face on a sandwich, pizza with veggies, or shape a veggie platter into a tree for a holiday gathering. Be creative or look online for ideas.
6. All forms count. Don’t forget all forms of fruits and veggies matter, so grab a different 100% juice each week or try dried fruit in your trail mix. Stop by the freezer section for frozen fruits and veggies. Adding a bag of veggies to casseroles or soups is an economical way to add more servings to your meals!

Jennifer Egeland, MS RND, LD
Director of Health and Naturals
Hen House Markets
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