Health & Benefits
March 30th 2020 ・ 10 min reading
How to make picky eaters eat more fruit and veggies
While we all wish our kids would be adventurous eaters, the reality at mealtime can be quite different. As a parent, it’s important to ensure your little ones are getting the right nutrient intake to help them grow big and strong. Though, it can be a challenge if your little ones are picky eaters and turn down almost every fruit and vegetable known to man. Luckily, there is always your old faithful, family-pleaser Chiquita banana. No one is game enough to miss out on the mouthwatering taste of Chiquita bananas!
See no veggie, taste no veggie.
Don’t give up, do keep trying to encourage your kids to ‘eat the rainbow’ and to try new things. But, until your kids are convinced that fruit and veggies aren’t so bad after all, you might have to be sneaky. To make sure they are getting all those necessary vitamins and nutrients, hide fruit and vegetables in dishes.
Pasta sauces are a classic. You can grate any vegetable you like and add it to the sauce. To the eyes and taste buds, the veggies will go unnoticed, but their busy bodies will be thanking you! Likewise, with beef or veggie patties and vegetable lasagna. Add your sneaky twist and bask in the glory of those special words, “can I have seconds?”.
As for those with a sweet tooth, let’s see what trick we have up our sleeve for you! How about some Chiquita banana and almond pinwheels. They are bursting with nutrients, protein and fiber, as sweet as pie, and 100% deceiving. If ovens are not for you, make frozen fruit Popsicles. Puree Chiquita banana, peaches, and berries. Pop them in the freezer and they will be ready for afternoon snacks and even for dessert! Who can say no to a Popsicle?
The switcheroo
That’s right, swap it. Make a shepherd’s pie and switch the potato mash with cauliflower mash. It’s a completely seamless exchange, same color, same aspect, different nutrients. Switch pasta for zucchini noodles. Be sure to call them zoodles, because it’s a whole lot more fun! Switch a quiche Lorraine for a vegetable quiche. Switch potato chips for sweet potato chips. Switch rice for cauliflower rice. If you’re making a sweet recipe, Chiquita bananas are always a great substitute for butter, eggs or sugar. And it’s sweet and flavorsome and comes packed with nutrients.
These switches are a gentle way of introducing fruit and vegetables to your children in familiar dishes. They might not notice at all. And even if they do, by that time they have eaten some of it, and fingers crossed they even enjoyed it!
Get creative
We’re not encouraging that you start playing with your food, but hey, if it helps you convince your kids to eat more fruit and vegetables, why not? Make fruit art! Turn a delicious Chiquita banana into a palm tree on a tropical island, all on your plate. Better yet, make your pancakes into bunnies with our Chiquita banana bunny pancakes recipe! They’re super cute and delicious!
Don’t give up on your picky eaters. With some of Chiquita’s sneaky tips, patience and encouragement you kids will be eating the rainbow in no time.
If you have any other tips for overcoming picky eaters, share them with us using #Chiquitabanana
