fun way to eat fruit

If you have little ones in your house, you know that something out of ordinary is SO MUCH FUN for them.  Here is a way for your little ones to eat their fruit, especially fruit that they are still exploring and not too sure of yet:

Toothpicks!

I will cut up pieces of fruit, and let them dig in with a toothpick.  I promise that if you do this, the kids will have a renewed interested in the snack on the table.

Now that cold and flu season is in full swing, make sure your kids are eating nutritious foods so their bodies are equipped to fight off all the bad stuff. 

You know, the other day I was volunteering at my son's school party.  The kids were all eating fruit gummy snacks and they were guessing what the gummy shape was.  At one point, I suggested a shape was a kiwi.  A child asked me what a kiwi was.  The child is nearly 6 years old.  At this point in the game, this child should have been exposed to kiwi and I felt sad for him. 

Not only is kiwi inexpensive ($.99 for a package of three at Aldi) but they are also super good for you.  Can you say Vitamin C?!  This little sucker have more Vitamin C than an orange, and still everyone thinks that oranges have the most Vitamin C. 

**
The other day at the store, I overheard a mother's conversation with her toddler daughter.  The mother picked up a pineapple and then set it down saying "oh, I don't want to cut into that thing."  Again, I felt sad for them.  Yes, it may be easier to open up a bag of fish crackers for a snack, but a pineapple is SO much better for your. 
**

Put effort into preparing food for your family.  Prepare nutritious foods for your family.  Take the time to do this, and your efforts will pay off. 

what are you snacking on?

Kids need a snack?
I know it is so tempting to reach into the pantry and grab the box of fish crackers.  STOP! 

Give them fresh fruit!

Cantaloupe is filled with an enormous amount of Vitamin A and beta-carotene and Vitamin C.  You know that Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system.  And Vitamin A is good for your eyes.  Now, most people think "good for your eyes" means 20/20 vision. Rather, "good for your eyes" means that it can help reduce your risk for things like cataracts and macular degeneration.

What do fish crackers do for you?  Um, fill your belly with empty calories...and them make you want more one hour later. 

How do you pick the best cantaloupe?  Smell it!  Works every time.  If it smells like a good one, it is!  If I pick one up at the store and it isn't smelling ripe yet, I just leave it in our fruit bowl for a couple days until it smells just right.

****

Before I truly understood the importance of good food, I would let Ben and CC snack on whatever they wanted before bedtime.  Ben would always request tortilla chips, and I would hand them over without thinking.  Now?  He MUST eat fruit (or some other healthy snack) before tortilla chips.  Since their bellies become full with fruit, they won't eat as much chips.

After he eats an apple, he will get his chips.  And sometimes he won't even ask for the chips after he eats the apple because he is satisfied. 

Making kids eat fruit first is a great way to introduce your kids into eating good foods.  They are motivated to eat the good stuff because they know chips will come.  Before you know it, they will forget about the chips and ask for fruit.  Promise!