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When babies age into toddlers, something switches and their eating habits definitely change. Here are 4 super simple ways to get your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.
My girls would eat just about anything when they were babies. We always made it a point to make them try different foods at every meal. But just like a lot of kids, when they hit the toddler age something switched. They didn’t want to try new foods and they turned their head at anything green.
Luckily I still have one girl who loves fresh fruit, but fresh vegetables are still pretty tricky. Today I’m sharing some simple ways that we get our girls to eat more fruits and vegetables in hopes that it will help your children too!
Take your kids shopping
Just like when they were toddlers, if I can get my girls to think something is their idea, they’ll definitely do it. My suggestion to try kiwi? “No way, Mom!” But if I let them pick new fruits and vegetables at the farmer’s market or in the grocery store, it’s quite likely to become the “best food ever”!
Make lunches and snacks fun
It’s no secret that I have a fun lunch passion. I love creating super fun, but simple bento lunches for both of the girls to take to school. Not only is it a bit of a creative outlet to me, but it really does get them to eat better foods.
Adding simple food picks and containers can make fruits and vegetables look more fun and appetizing to kids.
Keep your produce fresh
Yes, it’s a bit superficial but if my girls see a piece of fruit or vegetable that has gone bad, they don’t want any of it. I try to always use overripe produce in different ways – smoothies, breads, but it can really become a problem if your produce spoils too quickly.
Enter our newest kitchen addition, Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers. The are food storage containers that use patented FreshVentTM technology to keep produce fresher up to 80% longer* than traditional produce packaging.
They use a revolutionary built-in FreshVent™ lid that creates the optimal environment so produce stays fresh and the green tray at the bottom elevates produce away from moisture and promotes proper airflow to help reduce spoilage.
Rubbermaid just introduced 3 new sizes of containers, which help make up the 6 different sizes of FreshWorks containers perfectly sized for certain types of produce.
One important thing to remember is the recommendation to not wash the produce before you store it in your refrigerator to have it last the longest amount of time. Just simply transfer it from the store containers to your FreshWorks containers as soon as you arrive home from shopping.
Not only do these containers help produce last longer, they help eliminate food waste and save money As a result of throwing away fresh produce, Americans waste $24 billion worth of produce every year, which is the equivalent of $192 per household.**
Plus having more fresh produce in the house, definitely encourages my kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Keep fresh produce within reach
Now that we have fresh produce around the house, I make sure it’s always easily accessible.
When they don’t realize they’re eating, they eat better. It’s crazy, but so true, especially for Moreaya. If she snacks randomly while she’s playing, she’ll eat lots of vitamin-filled fresh produce! Sneaky? Yes, but we Moms have to do what works!
*Based on strawberries in FreshWorks™ containers vs. store packaging. Results may vary depending upon produce and use.
** Source: USDA 2014