10 sneaky hacks for getting your kids to eat fruit and veg

It’s never too early or too late to get your kids excited about fruit and vegetables. If they’re less than enthusiastic about this food group, take a look at how it’s being presented. Perhaps it’s just a marketing issue. Here are some ideas to change the boring old fruit or veg into something exciting for little tummies.

1. Make a fruit kebab with three types of fruit and a treat like a marshmallow in the centre. Instead of using metal or wooden skewers, which can be dangerous, try using bendy plastic straws.

2. For some reason, kids love frozen food. For a refreshing snack, try out frozen berries, grapes, peas or corn. Large frozen berries are great for teething bubs.

3. Blend fruit into smoothies by adding milk or yoghurt. You can also add extra nutrition with nuts and oats. If you’re using sour berries or kiwi, include ripe banana or dried dates for sweetness. Try using reusable pouches and freezing them for quick snacks. Check out the great range of reusable food pouches from Biome Eco Stores.

You can also try green smoothies – renaming them jungle slime or hulk juice (or similar!). Add colourful straws or cocktail umbrellas and the kids will think they’re having a real treat.

4. Smoothies are also great frozen into popsicle moulds. Just like ice cream but packed with goodness.

5. Dried fruit or fruit leather is always a winner in our house. Ensure there is no added sugar or sulphites. If you can, dry your own in a dehydrator or in a very low oven. You can purchase amazing preservative-free dried fruit at Bulk Whole Foods.

6. Use avocado, hommus, roasted mashed carrot or pesto as sandwich spread instead of butter.

7. Show me a kid that doesn’t go wild for chips. Turn the deep fried white potato chip around by oven baking sweet potato, carrot or pumpkin chips. Try adding some spice such as cumin for extra flavour.

8. Hide them! Add mashed banana to pikelets, grated zucchini to muffins, avocado to chocolate cake. There are hundreds of recipes which turn traditional sugar-laden snacks into fruit and veggie packed bombs for your kids.

9. If your kids love dips, instead of giving them carrot sticks to dip, turn it around and make the dip the star. Try cooked mashed cauliflower and broccoli, pumpkin, carrot and bean.

10. And finally, add spinach to everything! My DS will surely grow Popeye muscles soon with the amount of spinach he’s consuming. Diced finely, I add it to scrambled eggs, muffins, pizza, stews, quiches, pasta sauces, sausage rolls, smoothies. Everything!

What strategies have you used for getting your kids to eat fruit and veg?