Fruits & Veggies…How Do I Get My Kids to Eat Them?

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As we discuss wellness this month, one of the topics that comes to the forefront is Fruits and Veggies. Our children need fruits and vegetables as an important part of their diet and is essential for health and wellness. A diversity of fruits and Vegetables in the rainbow of colors are powerhouses of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and fiber. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables supports the immune system, proper growth and development, and provides the food for a healthy microbiome.

The Healthy Eating Plate established by the Harvard Medical School’s nutrition division, recommends half of the meal or plate, should consist of fruits and vegetables. The majority of that should be vegetables and a smaller percentage of that should be fruits. 

According to the CDC on any given day in the US:
90% of children do not meet the daily requirements of vegetables
60% of children do not meet the daily requirement of fruits

So how do we get our children to eat their fruits and vegetables?
The following are a few ideas:

• Grow your own vegetable garden with your children
• Take your child shopping with you to help pick out different fruits and vegetables 
• Allow your child to help wash and prepare fruits vegetables
• Experiment with your child on different recipes, seasonings, and ways to prepare fruits and vegetables
• Use fruits and vegetables as snacks for snack time
• Limit processed fruits and vegetables such as fruit chewy snacks, etc. as they often contain artificial ingredients, colors, added sugars, preservatives etc. and they lose much of their nutritional value and fiber in processing. (Note Fruit Snacks & Veggies Straws do not count as a fruit or vegetable source!)
• Have an “eat your veggies first policy” at mealtimes
• Use fruits as dessert instead of sugary desserts
• Incorporate fruits and sometimes even small amounts of veggies in a healthy fruit smoothie

Establishing a food first approach is always preferable. However, for some children as they are working on incorporating a more diverse variety of fruits and vegetables in their diet, some additional support may be beneficial.
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NutriDyn has an excellent Kids Fruits and Greens powdered product that can be readily added to smoothies (see recipe below) to increase the diversity of fruits and vegetables for children. It is an easy to mix, great tasting, nutrient-rich super food powder made from whole food concentrates. It provides vitamins, antioxidants, prebiotic fiber, and some probiotics to support the microbiome specially designed to help kids thrive. Kids Fruits and Greens can be obtained through NutriDyn at this link.

Fruit smoothies are an easy and great breakfast food for kids.  Try this fruit smoothie recipe.

Fun Fruity Smoothie Recipe
​Blend together:

• Peeled fresh/frozen banana
• Fresh/frozen berries, cherries, peaches, or other fruits of your choice
• Plain unsweetened yogurt with live active culture
• 1 scoop Kids Fruits and Greens
• Milk or calcium fortified unsweetened oat milk, to desired consistency

​Additional add-ins: 

• For extra nutrition, add an avocado slice or couple leaves of spinach or kale
• Ground chia seeds for extra nutrition and bowel regularity
• A drizzle of local honey if added sweetness is desired

Are you interested in building your child's health, wellness, and immune resilience  through holistic pediatric care? Contact Wellness 4 KIDS for a FREE Pediatric Wellness Discovery Call.