Top Tips to Encourage Kids Enjoy Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month—a perfect time to inspire healthier habits for the whole family. We believe in making nutritious foods fun, approachable and a natural part of daily life. Helping children enjoy fruits and vegetables now sets the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating. Here are some playful tips and tasty recipe ideas to get you started!

Get Creative

Turn healthy eating into playtime. Create rainbow fruit kabobs, or let kids design funny faces using sliced cucumbers, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. Giving food a creative twist adds excitement to every bite.

Fun names like “x-ray vision carrots” or “power peas” can also make veggies more appealing. Who wouldn’t want superhero strength from their snack?

Let Kids Help

Let your child choose a fruit or veggie at the grocery store or farm stand. Ask them to help wash and prepare it at home. Kids who participate in making their food are more likely to try it. For even more incentive, help them grow some of their favorites in a garden or pot.

You can also get your kids involved by giving them healthy options to choose from. “Would you like apple slices or grapes for your snack?” “Should we make carrots or sweet potatoes for dinner?” Empowering children in decision-making gives them some control, while still guiding them toward nutritious choices.

Pair with Favorites

Serve veggies with a tasty dip like hummus, or pair fruit with a dollop of yogurt or peanut butter. Add fresh tomatoes to tacos or red peppers to pizza. These simple additions can make healthy foods more appealing to kids.

There are also ways to stealthily incorporate the natural goodness of fruits and veggies into favorite foods. Add spinach to smoothies, grate zucchini into muffins or mix chopped veggies into pasta sauce. These little boosts go a long way.

Be Patient

It may take several exposures before a child accepts a new food. Keep a fruit bowl within reach and stock the fridge with cut-up veggies. The more your child sees them, the more “normal” these foods become. Offer them consistently without pressure—persistence pays off!

It’s also a good idea to start meals or snack time with fruits and veggies—kids are more likely to eat them when their tummies are rumbling. Also, model the behavior you want to see. If your child sees you eating and enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables, they’re more likely to do the same—your enthusiasm is contagious!

Fun Recipes to Try Together

• Ants on a Log: Cut clean celery sticks in half and spread each with peanut butter. Place raisin “ants” down the length of the treat.
• Fairy Wands: Slide fruits on wooden skewers, roll in yogurt and freeze for a magical treat.
• Check out these three veggie-packed popsicle recipes that make refreshing hot-weather desserts. For a quicker payoff, instead of freezing, blend them with a few ice cubes for instant summer smoothies.