Make Fruit (and Veggies) a Fun-Time Food

My 6 year old niece and 3 year old nephew inspired my article today. It’s June 30^th and I’m in Calgary providing childcare while my brother and sister-in-law enjoy an adult-only vacation. This morning my mini sous chefs “helped” me make red (watermelon-strawberry) home-made ice-pops in preparation for tomorrow’s Canada Day celebration. They are super excited for tomorrow’s popsicles. And they taste-tested the fruit while we were making them this morning.

Sometimes I feel badly for poor vegetables and fruit because they often don’t get invited to parties. They’re the obligatory foods that one must struggle through in order to earn dessert. When we stack the odds against vegetables and fruit in this way it’s no wonder that kids don’t want to eat them.

Instead, I encourage you to make vegetables and fruit a fun-time food. By including them in fun times, you’re creating a positive association with these healthy foods. Fun is more likely to drive kids to eat foods rather than health. Studies have shown that kids are less likely to try a new food if they’ve been told that it’s healthy. In addition, if they do try the food, they rate it as less yummy than kids who aren’t told anything about the food. The exact opposite of what we want.

I certainly see this reflected in my own childhood memories. My favourite veggies and fruit all have good memories attached to them. I remember sitting on the back porch in the summer with my Grannie shucking corn and playing “bean, no bean” while snapping the ends off of green beans. I remember picking raspberries in my best friend’s backyard. I didn’t eat green beans, corn and raspberries because they were healthy. I ate them because they were fun.

I’m grateful to my Grannie and others who inspired me to enjoy vegetables and fruit. As an Auntie and a dietitian I work to pay-it-forward and inspire the next generation. This past Valentines’ Day I led an activity where we made cupid’s arrows from fruit and veggies strung along wooden skewers, some cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters. These kids, who were notorious picky eaters, enjoyed cucumber, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and more. Not once did anyone complain about there being no candy at the Valentines’ day party.  At tomorrow’s Canada Day picnic we’ll have a veggie tray with red cherry tomatoes and radishes, red watermelon, and the red watermelon-strawberry popsicles. You won’t hear a single word come from my mouth about how healthy these foods are.     

Actions are much more important than words when it comes to getting kids to eat vegetables and fruit. Don’t teach your kids nutrition. Just include vegetables and fruit in fun times. When they get older, there will be lots of time for kids to learn why we eat these foods. Right now all we need is for kids to develop positive attitudes towards them (and eat them).

Looking for fun fruit & veggie ideas? There’s a ton of ideas on Pinterest. Check out my theme boards at http://www.Pinterest.com/KristenYarker

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

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