11 Fun Ways To Get Kids To Eat Fruits & Veggies Daily

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We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Focusing on getting them all in for ourselves is one thing… what about the kids? So let’s tackle the topic of fun ways to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies daily.

First let’s start with why… WHY are fruits and veggies so important??

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can:

• lower blood pressure
• reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
• prevent some types of cancer
• lower risk of eye and digestive problems
• have a positive effect on blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.

Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food.

If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative.

Here are a few fun ways to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies daily:

1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie.

One fun way to get kids to eat fruits and veggies is simply throwing some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender.

Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go.

Our current family favorite?

• 1/2 pear
• 1/2 apple
• 1/4 avocado
• A handful of mixed greens
• 8 ozs unsweetened vanilla almond/coconut milk

So so so good!

You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. We use:

ALL PLANT PROTEIN POWDER

Protein helps maintain lean body mass, build muscle and repair tissue.. Get what your body needs by adding this fine, flavorless protein powder to beverages, foods, or batters. All-vegetarian base, derived from soy, wheat, and yellow peas, provides balanced amounts of the nine essential amino acids.

• 10 grams of protein in one 12.5-gram serving.
• Dairy-free, lactose-free.
• Cholesterol free and low fat.

They’ll never know it’s in there! We sneak this protein into our pancake mix as well.

PRO TIP: To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie.

They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast. 

2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack at any time of the day.

Another one of the fun ways to get kids to eat fruits and veggies is by adding some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking.

You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning.

3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches.

You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich.

Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and anything else they will eat.

You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread. 

4. Have a salad bar at dinner.

Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese, and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and let everybody create their own perfect salad. 

5. Let them drink their fruits and vegetables.

Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative.

PRO TIP: You could start “family mocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice.

Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas, and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went. 

6. Try this for dessert.

Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit. 

PRO TIP: After dinner, we pull out the blender and let each child pick out their ingredients for their shake… as long as it includes at least ONE fruit!

They have so much fun pairing up different flavors and hitting that blend button.

7. Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks.

You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese.

Cube cheese and serve with grapes.

And of course, there are ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit, and vegetable in one snack). 

PRO TIP: I don’t know about your kids but mine will pretty much eat anything if it involves ranch dressing!! So cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip.

8. Try some new fruits and vegetables.

Pick something exotic to get your family’s curiosity.

With a little luck, their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension of trying something new.

You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store. 

PRO TIP: Have them help you pick it out at the store or market. Make it fun!

9. Soups & Stews

Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat.

Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold. 

10. Start “My Veggie Day”.

Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week.

PRO TIP: They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise, they lose a turn and Mom gets to pick. 

11. Supplementation

I know how hard it is to get the good stuff in your kids each and every day. Whether it’s a busy schedule or just “one of those days” I’ve been there. That’s why I always feel good knowing I’m helping my kids get what they need with supplementation.

Here’s what we use:

Chewable multivitamin/multimineral to support growing kids

A chewable multivitamin that supports optimal nutrition support for growing kids.

• Contains 19 essential vitamins and minerals — 12 of which have at least 100% of the Daily Value.
• Calcium and vitamin D for strong bones.†
• Helps support a healthy immune system and promotes eye health.†

Delicious chewable vitamins in strawberry-mango, grape, and orange flavors even the pickiest eaters will love.

• No artificial flavors or colors.
• Aspartame free and lactose-free.
• Sweetened with xylitol, which doesn’t promote tooth decay.*

Overall the best tip I can give on how to determine fun ways to get kids to eat veggies is by getting them involved in the process. If it’s their idea it will be so much easier for them to follow through on trying them and eating them.

Here is another tip:

Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.

Need help with your meal planning? Head here for 3 simple steps to get your meal planning game on track!

So there you have it! Some fun ways to get your kids to eat their veggies. Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

So tell me, friend, what are some fun ways to get kids to eat veggies? I would love to hear!

xoxo, Mo