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5 Deliciously Fun Ideas to Make Kids Eat Fruits

Hi Jodie,

The good news is you are not alone. Many parents of young children often have a hard time getting their picky eaters to eat fruits regularly because there are so many other temptations such as lollies, chocolate and ice creams around in the house.

Getting kids to eat enough fruits every day is an important part of a healthy diet. Research shows that a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables will help children concentrate better at school, protect from weight problems and be less likely to develop allergies or sleep disorders.

To encourage reluctant kids to eat fruits, you need to get creative with food presentation. Make fruits look attractive with fun novelty shapes and introduce a different fruit every single day. And, if your children refuse to eat a certain type of fruit, don't force. Forcing kids eat what they dislike can unwittingly put them off eating fruits for good. But never give up, serve it another day.

Steal these deliciously fun fruit serving ideas right away and watch your kids chomp down fruits like they never did before!

Fruit Serving Suggestions that Children Love

1. Frozen Berries, Grapes and Bananas

Berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cranberries – are chock full of vitamins and antioxidants, essential for strengthening immune system and protecting children from infections.

Interestingly, research suggests that cranberries block Haemophilus influenzae bacteria that cause ear infections and meningitis. Hence, you might want to use cranberries as a preventive tool for children prone to ear infections.

Since berries are naturally sweet and easy to eat like candies, you don't have to dress them up. Simply wash to remove dirt, making sure that they're free from mold and freeze. If you're going to freeze whole berries in a freezer bag for later use, I suggest you write the date you froze them so you don't forget how long they've been under that frozen pizza.

And, to get your children really excited about fruits, you can thread pieces of sliced bananas, strawberry halves, and grapes alternately onto skewers and serve with some honey yogurt. There you have it, an eye-catching nutritious snack perfect to beat the scorching heat!

2. Baked Apples, Pears and Peaches

Baked fruits smell heavenly, taste fabulous and give kids all the nutritional goodness of fresh fruits. Baking apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, or plums may take a little more time to prepare, but it's worth every ounce of your effort!

Halve the unpeeled fruit (peaches, pears, or nectarines and plums) and then place "face down" on a baking pan, filled 1-2 inches of water. Bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for about 20-35 minutes, or until skin puckers. Once done, slip off the skins if desired.

To make baked apples, core out the centers and leave the peels on. Then add a little butter, water, raisins or a small piece of banana, brown sugar and sprinkle some cinnamon before baking.

Baked apple, pear or peach garnished with yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup makes a warm delicious and healthy treat on chilly days.

3. Grilled Pineapples, Mangoes, Cantaloupe and Honeydew

Grilling fruits are a wonderful idea for summertime barbecue, and also a great opportunity for kids to get involved with what you're cooking. Not only fun to eat, grilled fruits are sure to stir up an appetite even in the pickiest kid! Grilling caramelizes fructose (natural fruit sugars) and enhances flavors, making fruits irresistibly sweet.

Brush a bit of maple syrup on pineapple rings, mango slices or cantaloupe wedges and grill them for about 3 minutes on each side, or until heated through. Top with frozen vanilla yogurt and sprinkle with granola or chopped hazelnuts.

4. Yummy Fruit Smoothies and Shakes

If your children still refuse to eat fruits or don't eat all the servings of fruit each day, why not offer them fruit smoothies or shakes. Smoothies are incredibly quick and easy-to-make, yummy and keep children happy for a long time.

Combine any variety of fruits such as kiwifruit, orange, papaya, and watermelon in a blender and blend until mixture is velvety smooth and frothy. For extra creamy consistency, throw in some soymilk, almond milk, coconut milk, low fat buttermilk, silken tofu or yogurt.

Fruit smoothies are great breakfast choices, but make sure to keep the calories down.

5. Funny Fruit Faces

How about exciting your kids with an array of vibrant colors and great-taste fruits? Fresh fruit salad is always a huge hit with children when you get creative and make silly/funny faces out of fresh fruit slices.

Use grapes as eyes, a strawberry for the nose, a banana mouth and maybe add mandarin for the ears. Don't forget to coat a thin layer of yogurt as a base to hold the "facial features" in place.

By Martha Sanders

Just wondering if I'm the only mom among your readers with this problem – my kids refuse to eat fruits. Each time I serve them (20 month old toddler and a 5-year-old) cut fruits, they either scream in disgust or spit it out when I'm not looking. Should I force my fussy kids to take fruits or incorporate more veggies in their diet instead? Any creative ways to make children eat fruits? What about a couple of easy-to-prepare fruit recipe ideas for me? – Jodie, Manchester.

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