This Friday, 2nd March, I will be the Ask Jeeves expert for Question of the Day for Family Friday.  I’ll be taking part in a live Facebook chat, where you can ask whatever questions you may have about children’s nutrition.  Simply go to Ask Jeeves and click on the question of the day. 

Here is the full article about how to get your child to eat more fruit. 

What Makes Fruit Apppeal to Kids?

So many parents struggle to get their children to eat more fruit.  Although the UK Department of Health keep telling us about the importance of five a day, when your child refuses to eat fruit this can feel like a continual battle.  So here are 10 tried and tested ways of tempting your children back to the fruit bowl and all the health benefits it provides:

1. Keep fruit within easy reach:  when a child is hungry they choose the first appealing thing they lay eyes on.  So keep the fruit bowl out, stocked with a variety of fresh fruit.  In the summer, you can put a mixed berry bowl on the table and remember to keep sugary treats away so they aren’t tempted in the wrong direction.
2. Hide the fruit:  sneak fruit into cooking and baking.  Grated apples, pears, mashed bananas, dried fruit or orange zest can easily be added to muffins, cakes and cookies.
3. Shopping for fruit:  Give your child a small shopping basket and allow them to choose the fruit they like.  This way they’re more likely to eat it when you get home.  Or in the summer go and pick your own and freeze some of the berries for the winter months.  
4. Create a reward chart:  young children from about 3 years of age respond really well to reward charts.  Use brightly coloured stickers of fruit and at the end of each day give them a reward such as a gold star or 20p for reaching their fruit target.
5. Give fruit as a dessert:  it’s easy to make fruity desserts without much sugar. Cut the sugar by a third in apple and berry crumbles, use yoghurt to make fruit trifles instead of sweet custard, fill pancakes with fruit, stew apples or pears and stir into rice pudding, or liquidise berries with a splash of honey to top ice-cream or yoghurt. 
6. Peel and chop: you’ll be surprised at how quickly kids will eat fruit that’s prepared for them.  Peeled and segmented orange, chopped banana or sliced apple go down really well. 
7. Fruity treats:  fruit can easily be made into a treat if you use your imagination.  Dip strawberries in dark chocolate, make fruit kebabs with a delicious sauce or mango drizzled with honey.
8. Fruit smoothies: most children love smoothies and any fruit will do.   Just add peeled fruit and water to a blender, maybe a splash of honey or a little yoghurt to thicken it up. 
9. Fruit ice-cream or sorbet:  blend up some berries with plain yoghurt and a drizzle of honey and freeze, or you can turn fruit juice into sorbet or ice lollies.  You can even make fresh orange juice ice cubes to add to drinks in the summer. 
10. Lead by example!  Finally, you can’t expect your children to prefer fruit if you’re eating sweet snacks and chocolate in front of them.  Children pick up their eating habits from parents so if you’re eating an apple, they’re more likely to do the same. 

If you have any questions about this topic, or children’s nutrition in general, I will be answering questions in a live Facebook chat this Friday for Ask Jeeves Family Friday.    Go to the Question of the Day and you’ll find the links.