Written by Taylor Booher, RD at Camp Shane Wisconsin
Do you feel like your child isn’t getting enough fruit in their day to day life? Do you find that they reach for processed sweets like cakes and cookies instead of natural sweets like fruits? Changing what is available can really help your child make better decisions about what to eat. Kids are apt to reach for foods that are ready to eat or easy to prepare – so it is super important to have fresh fruits available as a snack. Fruit is a healthy and vitamin-rich choice!
Here are some tips that can help:
- Take your child to the store with you. Letting them see and smell different types of fruits may encourage them to try new fruits.
- Make a game out of it! Have them choose different fruits in a variety of colors, or even in their favorite colors!
- Start a garden and grow some fruits! It doesn’t have to be a large garden, but getting the kids invested in the process will help them get more excited about trying the fruit.
- Have different fruits chopped and ready to go. Add some lemon juice to fruits like apples to help prevent browning. If the fruit is more visually appealing, the kids will be more likely to eat it.
- There are so many ways to eat fruit! Canned, fresh, frozen, dried – these are all great options!
- Be sure to avoid canned fruits with a heavy syrup – and instead choose fruits canned in water or light syrup.
- You should also strive to buy dried or frozen fruit with no added sugar.
Making an effort to encourage and incorporate fresh fruits into your child’s diet will not only provide them with the essential vitamins that they need, but will also help their overall health and well-being. Fruits not only energize, but help to detour sugary cravings promoting healthy weight loss and boosting the immune system!
The Camp Shane Team
