Little children are often picky eaters and prefer unhealthy foods such as chocolates and fries over fruits and vegetables. Your child needs vitamins and minerals to grow and to build immunity against diseases and consuming fruits and vegetables is essential for the same. You as a parent need to put your foot down and ensure that your kid gets a daily dose of nutrition. However, forcefully feeding fruits and veggies is not going to solve the problem because it will increase your child’s dislike for healthy food. Instead, you need to nurture a love for fruits and vegetables in your child by presenting them in an appetizing way and teaching your child the importance of healthy food. If you are currently struggling with a fussy eater then here are a few tips on how to convert your child’s dislike for fruits and vegetables into a life-long love for healthy food.

1. Don’t Hide The Healthy Ingredients

Getting kids to eat vegetables in their recognizable form can be hard, which is why many parents puree the vegetables and hide them in sauces and curries. While this may be a short-term solution to the problem, in the long-run, it will not be very useful in making your kids enjoy fruits and veggies. If the child does not know that hidden in the food is spinach, cauliflower, or bottle gourd, he or she will never grow a fondness for it and will not consider it to be an essential part of a daily meal. So do not hide the veggies, instead, make them the highlight of a tasty dish and teach your kid to enjoy their flavors.

2. Make Fruits and Vegetables Fun

Involve your kid in the process of buying and cooking vegetables so that he or she gets more excited about eating the final dish. Take your kids to a farmer’s market where they can see fresh produce in its most natural form. The different colors and shapes of fruits and vegetables will get your children interested in these foods. While cooking the food, make your kids participate by asking them to wash and stir in the vegetables under your supervision, this will make them feel that they have cooked the dish and they will definitely want to eat it.

3. Practice What You Preach

Your child observes and mimics your behavior throughout the day, so make sure that you practice what you preach and indulge in healthy eating habits. When your child sees you piling up your plate with fruits and vegetables then they become more inclined to do so themselves. On the other hand, if you munch on junk food in front of your kid then they too will like to gorge on the same and will give you a hard time when you try to make them eat healthy food.

4. Grow Your Own Produce

Building a kitchen garden can be a fun activity for you and your child that will also bring him or her closer to nature. Your child will get to learn more about the different varieties of fruits and vegetables and will also get to witness the plant life cycle. When the plants in your garden will be laden with fruits and veggies, your child will certainly want to pluck them and eat them with much more enthusiasm than store-bought vegetables. This is an excellent way to teach your child about vegetables in a hands-on manner.

5. Visit An Agritourism Center

An agritourism center can be a learning farm for your child where they get to witness crops in their natural habitat and become familiar with the different processes that go into harvesting them. These farms provide vast fields where the children can play in the fresh air and sunshine, and this exhilarating environment can encourage them to pay more attention to the vegetation around them. Tasting the local dishes prepared using the freshly harvested fruits and vegetables will be an unforgettable experience for them that can kick-start a long-lasting love for healthy food.

These are some of the ways in which you can encourage your child to make healthier food choices on their own without forcing fruits and vegetables upon their plate. Start following these tips today and watch your little one transform from a fussy eater to a healthy eater.