Five Tips to Eat More Fruits and Veggies for Picky Eaters

Parenting picky eaters can be tough.  Ensuring your children get all the nutrients they need daily is important.  We're sharing five tips to eat more fruits and veggies for picky eaters. Healthy eating doesn't need to be a chore, it should be fun too!

1 – Smoothies

Children love smoothies and milkshakes. You can add fruits and even vegetables to a child's smoothie without them knowing they're drinking their fruits and vegetables.

Bananas, berries, carrots, and even apples and celery can be added. You can also add leafy greens like spinach but the green color of the smoothie will be a dead giveaway, or it could make it fun.  Give the smoothie a fun name like a Hulk-inator for a green smoothie or Smurf juice for a blue one.

2 – Snacks

It's amazing what happens when you place a tray of vegetables and dip on the table during snack time. When children don't have to eat their vegetables they're more likely to enjoy them.

A low-pressure snack with celery, carrots, cucumbers and other child-friendly vegetables is a great way to get a few more vegetables into their diet. Good dips to consider include ranch dip and hummus. You can also switch it up with an occasional fruit and cheese tray.

3 – Purees

Okay, it's sneaky but it works. You can add vegetable purees to just about anything. You can add them to spaghetti, muffins, brownies, and even taco meat. Squash makes a great puree but so too do vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and even beans.

4 – Serve two vegetables at mealtime

One great way to get more vegetables into your child's diet is to serve two vegetables at mealtime. Serve a cooked vegetable and a salad as a side. If you're also being sneaky and placing purees in your food, then your child may be getting three servings of vegetables at dinner time.

Don't put too much pressure on them eating the vegetables at mealtime. Adding fruits and veggies to their plates provides exposure to food that they can try on their terms.

5 – Serve salsas, sauces, relishes, and dips

Any sauce or dip that's made from a vegetable helps you get more veggies into your child's diet. Serve salsas and sauces at mealtime when appropriate. For example, salsa with scrambled eggs or hummus with celery stalks. Even apples and peanut butter can get a serving of fruit into your child.

With a little planning ahead, a bit of sneakiness, and a commitment to five a day, you can get more fruits and vegetables into your child's diet. If you force a child to eat veggies, they're likely to resist.  Children have different taste buds than adults. It may take a few ‘tastes' for them to learn to like a fruit or vegetable.

Need more fun ideas?  How about this food art for kids ebook? We hope these five tips to eat more fruits and veggies for picky eaters give you new ideas to try. Healthy eating can be fun when you get a little creative and include the picky eaters in meal prepping.

What's your favorite way to sneak fruits and veggies into your daily meal plan?