How to make your child like fruit
Fruit is one of the most complete foods, rich in vitamins and minerals, which is why we should try to include it in our children's diet. Additionally, it contains a large amount of natural antioxidants and fiber, as well as a high water content.
For this reason, many parents worry that their children don’t like fruit, and it’s understandable! As much as possible, we should try to have little ones eat 3 to 4 pieces of fruit a day, and although it may seem like a challenge to many, it is possible.
Here are some tips for you..
Start from an early age.
One of the keys to getting our children to like fruit and develop the habit of eating it is to get them used to eating it from a young age, in fruit purees or baby food. If they don’t eat purees, offer small pieces from 6 months old. This is the best way to introduce the right amounts and new textures so they grow up with them. We should always give fruit without added sugar.
Keep it always in sight
It’s very important that fruit is always in a visible place for our children: on the table, on the counter, in the fridge… This way, children have it in mind at all times and can ask for it themselves whenever they want.
Fruit salads always ready.
Another foolproof technique is to always have a bowl of cut fruit ready in the fridge so children can eat it anytime.
Keep sweets out of sight.
Just as important as keeping fruit visible to the child is to hide those foods that might “compete” with it. That means cookies, yogurts, and other things that might be more appealing to the little one.
Offer some natural juice.
Fruit in juice form is always more attractive to children. There is no problem offering juice as long as it is natural, but keep in mind that this increases the concentration of glucose (sugar). Still, it’s fine if one of the 3 or 4 daily fruit servings is in the form of natural juice.
Set an example.
And finally, and very importantly, parents must set an example because, as with everything, children will imitate what they see us do. Therefore, we should consume fruit daily in front of our children. It never hurts to go down to the fruit store to get some pieces. We should also try to make sure this fruit is seasonal and varied.
At Smileat, we want to give your baby the best nutrition. We have available organic fruit jars online for your baby: