# How do you get pre-schoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables?



## beautifulcupcake (Oct 11, 2010)

We all know that we are supposed to eat at least five fruits and vegetables per day in order to maintain good health. The burning question is how do you get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, especially when they may only want to eat hamburgers, sweets and potato chips and you are not supposed to force kids to 'clean their plate' or make meals a power struggle? I would like to receive some advice, recipes and tips in this regard as I have a 4 year old that hates veggies!


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## Silversage (Oct 11, 2010)

When I was a kid (in the 1950's) we ate what mom put in front of us.  If we didn't eat it - we just didn't get anything else.  Mom put healthy food on the table, and we ate it. 

We never had potato chips, store bought cookies or soda pop in the house.  Occasionally mom baked a cake or batch of cookies, but it was a special treat.  There was no such thing as dessert every day.  

I'm of the belief that most of our kids eating problems are caused because parents forget that they are in charge.


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## 4meandthem (Oct 11, 2010)

I agree. My kids prefer fruit and veggies now to alot of other foods.


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## Andy M. (Oct 11, 2010)

Lead by example.

Don't give them a choice.


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## Uncle Bob (Oct 11, 2010)

Silversage said:


> When I was a kid (in the 1950's) we ate what mom put in front of us.  If we didn't eat it - we just didn't get anything else.  Mom put healthy food on the table, and we ate it.
> 
> We never had potato chips, store bought cookies or soda pop in the house.  Occasionally mom baked a cake or batch of cookies, but it was a special treat.  There was no such thing as dessert every day.
> 
> I'm of the belief that most of our kids eating problems are caused because parents forget that they are in charge.





			
				Andy M said:
			
		

> Lead by example.
> 
> Don't give them a choice.




Nuff said!!!!


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## jabbur (Oct 11, 2010)

Make the fruit easy to eat.  Pull the grapes off the stems, cut up the apples, pears, etc.  Leave it out to graze on.  There are many cook books available with recipes that "hide" veggies and fruit in other foods.  My guys always liked the little boxes of raisins.  Make it fun.  Give them a choice but you provide the options, apples or bananas, carrots or celery.  Cookies and chips are no longer options.


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## Alix (Oct 11, 2010)

Ants on a log, monkey bars, have fun with it. My kids like to play with their food. LOL!


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## merstar (Oct 11, 2010)

Serve fresh cut-up fruit with a peanut butter dip or yogurt dip (plain yogurt with a little honey added or with slightly sweetened fresh strawberry puree, etc.) 

Make a yogurt sundae - Take parfait glasses and layer them with yogurt (use mixtures I just listed above or yogurt flavor of choice), fresh fruit, unsalted chopped nuts, granola, etc.

This is a great fruit snack - kids (and adults) love it:
TIKE TREAT: (I use orange juice):
Tike Treat Recipe - Food.com - 96676


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## mollyanne (Oct 11, 2010)

FRUIT:
Use a melon baller for fruit...kids love balls. Core an apple, slice it, and call them apple donuts. Have them prepare a colorful fruit salad themselves using the melon baller and various colorful berries (raspberries blueberries blackberries strawberries)...they love eating what they've made themselves.

VEGGIES:
Make a yogurt dip for them to dip their veggies in. Parboil them (like carrots and brocolli) and refrigerate instead of serving them completely raw.


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## merstar (Oct 11, 2010)

Here's another great idea:
Apple Cartwheels:
Apple Cartwheels Recipe | Taste of Home Recipes

For vegetables, have you tried roasted cauliflower florets, otherwise known as cauliflower popcorn? Nice and browned and a little crispy - delicious. People who hate cauliflower, love this! Here are the basic instructions:
http://www.food.com/recipe/cauliflower-popcorn-roasted-cauliflower-115153


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## joesfolk (Oct 12, 2010)

I always hide veggies in other things.  When my kids were little I would puree veggies and add them to tomatoe sauces for spagetti and add them to burgers and meatloaf.  Kids will eat almost anything deep fried.  I tried deep fried green pepper rings one time thinking it would not go over but they loved them.   Using veggies to make funny faces on food works sometimes too.  You could make faces with veggies on a pile of mashed potatoes.  While I agree with the other folks about being in control of their food (that's pretty much how I rasised my older boys) I now find it impossible to feed my daughter the same way because she has so many more options than kids used to have.  Most notably she has access to garbage foods at school.  They feed them crap that I would never give her at home.  Unfortunately DH thinks she should have lunch like the other kids at school and won't let me make her lunches.  Then everywhere they go they are given crap, a the the grocery store (samples) at the bank (candy), from the neighbors who always thought she was cute and would give her cookies and other sweets every day.  I think today the best we can do without being ogres is to make sure that we prepare good nutricious foods and give them plenty of variety and pray that they grow up to follow our examples.


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## Kathleen (Oct 12, 2010)

In addition to the awesome suggestions above, have your little one involved in the food prep.  S/he can place the ants on the log or stir while you cook.  If you have a garden, have your little one have his/her own garden patch or allow him/her to select something new in the produce department at your grocer while shopping there.  My mother use to cut my sandwiches in fun shapes and let me decorate my food with healthy options.  Instead of carrot slices, she made carrot daisies by cutting wedges before slicing.  I think the more small ones get to help make items, the more likely they will be to try it.

~Kathleen


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## PrincessFiona60 (Oct 12, 2010)

When the fridge is open kids should see already cut up carrots, celery, fruit.  Leave it in cups on the table for run and snackin'.


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## buckytom (Oct 12, 2010)

for pre-schoolers, i agree with ss and andy (they don't call him auntie em for nothing). 

you are 95% of their world still, so they'll eat whatever you make available. and of course it helps to make things fun.

this time of year, apple picking is a great way to involve kids in both understanding where food comes from, as well as having fun picking and eating it.

once kids are in full time school, however, they'll start being influenced by things you can't control, like other kids whose parents don't mind letting their kids teeth rot with sticky candy, so it's imperitive that you get good lessons down now. one of my son's classmates just had to have 3 root canals on his baby teeth, and his mom seemed surprised. apparently, she fed him candy all day long.

reading books that talk about healthy eating helps as well. i remember one of my son's favourites was from a tv cartoon called "lazytown". the hero, sporticus, lost all of his energy from eating candy and fell out of a race. but when he ate healthy fruit, he was able to rejoin the race and ended up winning. we backed up those ideas by snacking on fruit after we read.


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## Claire (Oct 12, 2010)

I like lead by example and simply provide the right stuff and don't buy the wrong stuff.  Yes, they'll eat cr-p when they go to their friends' houses, but just make it there for them at home.  My father's favorite snacks were apples, which he carefully cored, melons (not like now, when you can get them any time).  Big junk food binge?  A can of fruit cocktail and scoop of ice cream.  But only as an occaisional treat!  

My nephews became healthy eaters when they started to like dipping things.  So a sliced apple and a bit of some king of dip (fruit or honey yogurt comes to mind) just made them happy.

A lot of children like child-sized portions.  That is to say, fruit (fresh or dried), nuts, vegetables, etc, put in small bags so that whatever they have  is theirs and theirs alone.  Buy some of the smallest, cheapest baggies, and make them a snack that just belongs to them (if you have a lot of kiddie buddies, make them a bag as well, to keep on hand).

But if Mom and/or Dad are sitting on the couch, watching TV, eating garbage, then don't expect the kids to be out playing in the sun and eating fruit.  

Oh, another good one is a baked potato.  Sweet or regular, with some toppings, for dinner.  Just don't turn the sweet potato into a desert type dish.  Just bake it.


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## Selkie (Oct 12, 2010)

Children in the 3 to 8 year old range are wondering what to do with themselves, so they look toward us adults. They begin by emulating those grownups whom they have decided they want to be like, and that includes eating habits.

Whether they've ever liked them before or not, if they see someone they respect and want to be like eating carrot sticks, you can bet that they'll soon be eating carrots sticks too, and say they like them now.

If their self-appointed mentor sets a good example, they will follow. But you can't be hypocritical, they'll see right through it in a heart beat!


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## Andy M. (Oct 12, 2010)

My grandson enjoys his salads and other fresh veggies.  

However, one of our special treats is to eat jelly beans while watching sports, the Red Sox or Celtics are his favorites.  We aren't giving that up.


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## GB (Oct 12, 2010)

Kids can only eat what they are given. And no one will starve if there is food available. They may complain they are starving, but if they are really hungry they will eat what is there. 

When our daughter was young we were very good about only offering healthy options. We have gotten worse at it as time has gone on though and have found ourselves buying more junk than I would like. because it is in the house and the kids see it and see us eating it then they ask for it and it becomes a battle. 

The key is starting them early eating veggies and fruits. If it is all they know then they will find what they love and that will stick with them. My kids both love fruits and usually veggies. they will often pick fruits over other sweets when given the choice now. I do not think that would have been the case if we did not have them eating only fruits and veggies from a very early age though. I think if they got used to sweets first then that is what they would want.


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## buckytom (Oct 14, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> However, one of our special treats is to eat jelly beans while watching sports, the Red Sox.


 
andy, couldn't it be considered child abuse making him watch the sox if you didn't give him the jelly beans?


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## justplainbill (Oct 14, 2010)

Starve em out.


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## Andy M. (Oct 14, 2010)

buckytom said:


> andy, couldn't it be considered child abuse making him watch the sox if you didn't give him the jelly beans?




Watching the Boston Red Sox builds character.  Steven has the opportunity learn that life consists of the good times and the bad times.

When there's a Yankees game on, I withhold the jelly beans so he will hate them too.


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## GB (Oct 14, 2010)

Andy, couldn't it be considered child abuse making him watch the Yankees?


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## Andy M. (Oct 14, 2010)

GB said:


> Andy, couldn't it be considered child abuse making him watch the Yankees?



He is closely monitored throughout the game.  The first time he he starts twitching, I switch to Sponge Bob.


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## retiredguy (Oct 14, 2010)

HUH? Properly ripened fruit almost sells itself to kids. Maybe you could try some psychology and say something like 'you can only have one'. Good luck, children have to have fruit in their diet so you have to make it happen.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Oct 14, 2010)

I too agree that you have to set the example, and set the rules.  It is a child's job to explore his/her limits, in everything.  They explore behaviors and try to exert their will over the will of their caretakers.  They will try bad behaviors as well as good ones.  They don't understand the concepts yet between the two, at least at the pre-school ages.  But they do understand yes and no.  They are also beginning to get a feel for what works and doesn't work for them.  

It is the parents job to help their children grown and learn, and to teach them values that they will need through life, such as proper nutrition.  They will push at you, try to get their own way.  You need to push back, to protect them from doing things or developing habits that will hurt them.  They will respond to love, and to consequences.  When they do things that help them or the family, the consequences are increased positive attention, and maybe, once in a while, a treat.  Mostly, it's letting them know you are pleased with them.  When they behave badly, that attention they crave should be removed, and negative consequences need to be applied, such as time outs, time alone in a secluded space, and not giving them the thing they want.  Your children are your most important responsibility.  And you are the greatest influence in their lives.  So it's up to you to be the parent.  Give them boundaries.  Don't let them rule you.  You and they will be happier and healthier.  The bad behavior usually goes quickly away.  They may try some new behavior that is wrong, but again, it will soon pass if they find it isn't giving them the desired results.  Reward them only for good behavior, even if it means eating those steamed peas.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## CharlieD (Oct 14, 2010)

This is what I do. When my kids come home from school I bit them up really hard and tell them if they are not going to eat their diner I'd bit them up even harder ... 

Ok, I do hope you realise I am just kidding. It is a lough with tears or thru tears. One, only one of my 5 kids eats normaly, puh,puh,puh, shhh, don't say anything I am afraid to give her a bad eye, or whatever it's called.
Rest of them is a fight, and none eat the same thing as the other.


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## daniellecharmaine (Oct 14, 2010)

I would say that you have to find some type of alternitives for kids. many times they have foods especially for kids as for veggies and fruits. You can also tell them little sayings like eating this will keep the doctor, dentist away, you have to eat this if you want to grow up to be strong.


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## mollyanne (Oct 15, 2010)

*How about making "building blocks":*

(I don't know what the white blocks are...maybe do 
canteloupe for that one...you could make smoothies 
with the excess you've trimmed off)

.


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