How to Make Your Kids Eat Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

It is always hard to try to compete with the latest chocolate, crackers of biscuits, when it comes to eating snacks. But you have to understand that as a part of a healthy lifestyle from the beginning, your children need raw vegetables and fruit to protect their immune system and help their growth.

But children don't always like the taste of fruit or vegetable, sometimes they prefer chocolates, biscuits, or candies. How can you make them choose the healthy food instead?

I started giving raw vegetables and fruit juice to my children at an early age. It is important that they will get used to the taste as soon as possible. If they have to taste "veggies" after sweets, I bet they will say "yuck". Try it yourself once and you will understand them.

There are varieties of forms you can give your children fruits and vegetables. Here are come simple and proven tips to make them like it and finally ask for their portion.

It is said that kids need 5 portions of fresh fruit or vegetables each day. How can you ensure they get it?

1.Start the day with either freshly squeezed orange juice, lemonade made with real lemon juice or just simply a real fruit milkshake instead of cocoa or hot chocolate. They might be thirsty when they wake up, so it is really easy to make them drink it.

2.Instead of toast, pancakes or pastry, or only cereals with milk, try the following: Get a low fat quality yoghurt (can be a funny kiddies one) and put raisins, apple slices, or any other fruit you find in it. You can also add cereals, or use cereals that contain dried fruit.

3.In their lunchbox, give them funky shaped vegetables, carrot sticks, or if you are using cheese dippers, you can show them how to dip carrot stick in the cheese instead of the biscuit. If they don't have much time for lunch, or you know that they eat slowly, get a small box of raisins every day. It can be easy and fun to eat, and much healthier than crisps.

4.Always give them fresh fruit and vegetables for after-school snack. They are hungry, tires and need the energy. If you give them just carbohydrates or sugar, their body will struggle to break it down, and they will not regain their energy, but get even more tired.

Here's what I do: I prepare a special plate every day with different funny shapes on it. Sometimes it looks like a monster, sometimes like a silly head, but it is always different. Have loads of kinds of fruits or vegetables at home, to maximize your creativity.

- a kiwi slice can be an eye on the picture
- a banana slice, as well can serve as an eye
- a slice of apple can be a mouth, ear or eyebrow
- thin carrot sticks can be whiskers
- grapes can be eyeballs
- oranges can go around the table, marking the face
- oranges can also be used as eyebrows.
- a strawberry cut in four times from the bottom can actually look like a flower.

You can actually make up your own pictures as well, but I am submitting some of the plates I prepared today. I can assure you that your kids will love it.

5.Don't forget to give your child at least one portion of fruit or vegetables after dinner, it will help they break down the food they just ate, especially, if you had fried fish, meat or chips for dinner.
Good luck, and enjoy having healthy kids.