Summer the Perfect Season to Increase Fruit and Vegetable intake

Getting your child to eat healthy can be hard at times, however if there is one time to try and really push them to eat more fruit and vegetables then summer is the time to do it. During summer, there are many different fruit and vegetables in season, these are all easily available, cheap to buy and most important of all, they taste great and exceptionally fresh.

Getting a balanced diet into your children is hard no matter what age they are, but providing them with great tasting, fresh ingredients will give you the best chance of success. We have a lot of fruit available all year round, but right now in the summer months, everything tastes great. You will be able to taste the difference for yourself, and you will look forward to picking up fresh local fruit during the summer, your child will also be able to tell the difference.

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When planning your child’s diet, it is important to keep things simple, but try to vary what you give them as much as possible. Don’t expect them to eat vegetables and fruit numerous times a day with every meal instead of an unhealthy snack, but try and introduce this as much as you can without an overload. Putting the same vegetable on their plate for each evening meal is not going to encourage them to eat better and eat vegetables every single day. However, by adding different vegetables and not putting them out every single day will result in your child being more likely to eat them, because it is new, fresh and not forced on them every day.

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The same goes with fruit, it is vitally important to change up the fruit you offer as much as possible, this is especially the case with fruit because it all tastes so different and there are so many varieties. They will of course have their favourites, which you should offer frequently to them, but make sure you mix it up with things they haven’t had before, and things that are fresh and in season.

My child absolutely loves melon and will eat it as often as he is given it. To keep him happy, and to give him new fruit we never give him melon on its own anymore, we always put it in a bowl with other fruits. This gives him new and different tastes and textures when he is eating, and it also varies things to keep him eating as much different fruit as possible.

The key to success with fruit and vegetables is to keep offering it, and keep it as fun and different as possible. After eating a banana every day for two weeks, you would get bored and want something else, and so would your child. Don’t let them get to that stage, keep fruit and vegetables on their menu, but change things up as often as you can. If they have a favourite then make sure you keep offering it, but offer it alongside other things to get them interested in a variety.