Get Kids to Eat More Fruits & Veggies
By: Dave Grotto, RD
10 fruits and vegetables your child will love. Are you having trouble getting your child to try new foods like bell peppers, celery, or bananas? Just follow these tips to get your child to try new foods.
1. Bell Pepper Flower
Slice a yellow bell horizontally into ¼ inch slices to resemble a ring. Remove any clinging seeds or pulp from the pepper. Lay one pepper slice onto the plate, Fill the center of it with a clingy dip such as hummus, bean dip, or your favorite tuna salad!. Next, slice a green pepper length-wise to make a stem for the pepper and cut two “leaves” for either side of the stem from the remaining green pepper. Slice remaining peppers into dippers to scoop out favorite dip.
2. Celery Crunch Snacks
Celery makes a great healthy snack with lots of crunch. Cut into 4 inch pieces. Fill with a variety of fillings: low fat cream cheese mixed with fruit preserves and low fat peanut butter mixed with a few chocolate chips. Have a loudest cruncher contest and see who wins!
3. Build Your Own Fruit Kabob Station
Supplies needed…
• kabob sticks
• vanilla or fruited yogurt
• shredded and toasted coconut
• sprinkles
• mini chocolate chips
• assorted cubed, fresh fruit
Set up stations starting off with the kabob sticks. Have each kid go through assembling the fruits of their choice. Leave enough room at the ends of the sticks to hold with their fingers. Have them dip their fruit kabob into the yogurt and then into the topping of their choice.
4. Guac Around the Broc:
Place raw broccoli flowerettes in the middle of the plate to represent a forest. Surround the broccoli forest with a moat of guacamole or mashed avocado. Pick a tree and take a dip in the moat! Save left over avocado for making Smashed Turkey-Avocado Sandwiches!
5. Lettuce Roll Ups
Take your favorite sandwich ingredients and roll them up in lettuce leaves instead of the typical bread sandwich.
6. Edible Soupbowls!
Make soup bowls out of baked acorn squash or hollowed out baked baby pumpkins. Scoop out just enough flesh to allow soup to be poured into them. Pour hot tomato or vegetable soup into “bowls”. Serve with grilled cheese made on whole grain bread. Here’s the fun! Don’t use spoons yet! Use the sandwiches for dipping and when the soup has cooled down some, drink out of the bowls.
7. Yogurt Banana Split
Serve this old time favorite with flavored yogurt instead of ice cream. Layer bananas on the bottom of a sundae bowl. Next top with your favorite yogurt. Sprinkle berries and granola over the top and drizzle a little honey for added sweetness. Top with a few maraschino cherries and adorn with a flag toothpick.
8. Baked Pumpkin Seeds
Save those seeds after carving your Halloween pumpkin. Wash them off and pat dry with paper towels. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
9. Build-Your-Own-Pizza Party!
Buy whole-grain pizza shells. Top with favorite pizza sauce. Have an assortment of veggie toppings for kids to choose including onions, assorted colors of diced bell peppers, tomato slices, mushrooms and black olives. Top with reduced-fat grated cheese. Bake as directed on pizza shell package.
For desert, make a Graham Cracker Fruit Pizza.
Beverages – serve healthy fruit spritzers – half 100% fruit juice, half seltzer water garnished with pineapple wedges and fun paper umbrellas.
10. Fruit Poppers
Make a smoothie out of assorted fresh berries, milk and strawberry ice cream. Mix in blender until smooth. Pour into Dixie cups and cover each cup with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make a slit in the center of the plastic wrap and insert a Popsicle stick. When frozen, remove plastic wrap and let the kids peel away the cup to reveal a delicious fruit popper!