Summer is a great time to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into your snack program. The fresh and local produce options are endless, and in-season produce is both more affordable and more tasty than out of season produce. As we see with the preschoolers in our First Bites (www.firstbites.org) program, the more children are involved in what they eat, the more likely they are to eat it. Check out these fun and easy ways to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables:
Make your own popsicles: Take a break from the summer heat with these fruity popsicles. Put out bowls with a variety of fruit (blueberries, cut up strawberries, sliced kiwi, raspberries etc) and let children fill a popsicle mold (Dixie cups also work well; just add a popsicle stick before freezeing). Add water or coconut water to fill and freeze. For the recipe, visit:http://www.firstbites.org/#!fruity-popsicles--first-bites/cqt1
Fruity water: Limit juice, even 100% fruit juice, in the classroom. Not only does it not contain the fiber found in whole fruit, it's overly sweet and can create a preference for sweet foods. Instead, get children used to drinking water. Make it fun by infusing the water with fresh fruit and vegetables. Ask the children to come up with fun combinations. Starter ideas include: watermelon and fresh mint (mint is also a great herb to grow on the windowsill), orange and blueberry, and sliced strawberries, cucumber and lime. Place the fruit in a water container, or individual water bottles, add water and let it infuse for a few hours. It only gets better - and more colorful - with time!
Farmers market tasting stand - Create a farmers market stall in the classroom! Put out a variety of fresh, seasonal produce and have a tasting party. Create a classroom tasting chart and let the children vote based on most juicy, funniest shape, best color and most fun to eat. Using a tasting chart encourages children to try new foods without focusing solely on eating.
For more fun tips and recipes designed to get children excited about eating fruits and vegetables, and to learn more about how your preschool can participate in the First Bites program, visit firstbites.org
These ideas were brought to Cooperatively Speaking by:
Caron Gremont, Founder of First Bites (2012)
Caron has spent most of her career working in the food and nutrition world and has long been interested in the health habits of young children. Caron holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and was a Vice President at Porter Novelli, the global communications firm, where she developed and implemented food and nutrition behavior change campaigns. Her clients have included private, non-profit and government programs, including: United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Almond Board of California. She is also a contributor to the Huffington Post. Caron is a mother to two young children and lives with the joys and challenges of feeding young children every day. She lives with her husband and children just outside of Washington, D.C. in Bethesda, MD.
