5 Sneaky Ways to Get Your Toddler to Eat More Fruit! By Carol Jones at myboredtoddler.com
Did you know that the recommended serving of fruit for a toddler is ½ to 1 ½ serves a day. This is based on a ‘serve’ being 150grams. With this in mind you might realise that you’re toddler doesn’t need as much fruit as you might think, but then again getting them to eat any fruit can be tough! Toddlers are stubborn and if they’ve decided that they don’t like fruit this week there’s a good chance they’re going to make life difficult for you when you try to give it to them.
I don’t advocate only hiding and disguising fruit for toddlers, but it definitely has its place. You should still be making sure that fruit is a visible part of their daily food offerings, but there are some good sneaky ways to get toddlers to eat that little bit extra.
Everyone seems to know about hiding veggies in food, but this method words just as well with fruit as well. Never miss an opportunity to sneak in some fruit. Grated apple can easily be added to bolognaise or pasta sauce (you can’t even taste it) and grated or pureed apple and pear can be added to muffins and cakes. I recommend keeping grated apple and pear in small freezer bags so you can easily add it into your recipes.
Nothing makes you feel prouder as a parent than you when you manage to pass off healthy food as a treat! Homemade ice blocks are so easy to make and you can make them with nothing other than fruit and water. Unlike many of the store bought brands, you don’t need to add any sugar or nasty additives to these. For soft fruits like watermelon, mangoes and berries, simply puree the fruit (the combinations are endless) and add a little bit of water to the mixture (3/4 fruit, ¼ water works well). For hard fruits like pear and apple, boil them before pureeing, just like you would do for baby food.
Put some food in front of a toddler and there’s a pretty good chance they’ll say ‘No’. Take them to a farm, a strawberry patch or even a farmer’s market and there’s a good chance they’ll be asking for everything. For this to work you should let them pick out any type of fruit they like as long as they’re willing to eat it. Giving them ownership and making it their choice helps a lot.
Smoothies are a quick and easy way to get a serve or two of fruit into your toddler. Blend a banana and some berries with some milk (you can use almond or coconut milk to make it dairy free), add some ice and serve it in a fancy plastic cup with a straw. I recommend adding a fancy straw for a higher likelihood of them drinking it!
If your toddler loves yoghurt, adding some pureed fresh (or frozen) fruit can easily add ½ a serve of fruit to their daily intake. You don’t need to make your own yoghurt, simply buy regular Greek yoghurt (Greek yoghurt generally contains no added sugar but check the carton just in case) and add your pureed fruit. As well as being much healthier than most store bought brands, this method will save you a lot of money too!
Remember to always keep offering your toddler fruit. Eventually they will pick a few pieces that they are willing to eat, although be prepared for their favourite fruit to change often. In the meantime get sneaky with your fruit hiding tactics!
Does your little one love or loathe fruit? Do you have any ways to get a toddler to eat more fruit?
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