Thursday, June 9, 2016
I Got Our Kids, And Lisa, To Like Fresh Produce
I've had a lot of people ask how we get our kids to eat fresh produce. They're interested in adding fresh fruits and vegetables to their fur-kid's meals or having them on hand for a healthy snack. I'm always happy to reply with tips and advice. All of our kids eat fresh produce and our kids range from picky to food motivated.
Then, there's Lisa.
There was a time when Lisa made this face when I put vegetables on her plate or in her food...especially green ones. This photo was taken last summer. I made a gorgeous homemade white sauce pizza topped with spinach. She accused me of feeding her moldy pizza, but, she ate it. She liked it.
Although Lisa has gotten a lot better about eating fruits and vegetables, and even asks for salad, it didn't come without a struggle. Getting her to eat her vegetables was challenging. I often hid shredded vegetables in various foods like meatballs and chocolate brownies.
True story. The zucchini brownies were a hit. She had no idea there were 2 cups of shredded zucchini in that batch of brownies. I didn't tell her until she put the last bite in her mouth.
I have applied the same method with our kids. Coco is very picky. Sophie is a little hesitant with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Lobo likes most produce. They have produce for snack, especially during the summer. Most of their fresh fruit and vegetable intake is in the form of a produce salad and it gets mixed in with their meals.
Over the past couple of years, their fresh produce intake has skyrocketed. At one time, they all hated cucumbers. After mixing some into their food for a few months, they now eat cucumber slices for snack. Plain. Coco is still picky when eating produce for snack, but he loves any and all in his meals.
When people reach out and ask how I get our kids to eat fresh produce, this is the method I share with them. A lot of times, they'll give their pup a slice of apple. The pup sniffs and walks away. It's automatically assumed the pup doesn't like apple. My motto is give them time. Introduce it slowly. Mix it in with their food. Eventually, you'll be surprised.
From experience, I will say there are foods our kids just don't like. When I've attempted to mix those foods in with their meals, they will leave whatever they don't like on their plate. Like with human kids, fur-kids preferences. It's all about trial and error.
In time, you'll discover what your fur-kid likes and doesn't like. Just be sure, before giving your fur-kid anything, search online to make sure it's safe. And, start small.
Happy eating!
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