How to Feed Fruit to a Child

Experts estimate that 20 percent of American children eat no fruit at all. Since fruit is an important source of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, such numbers are scary. If you have a hard time getting your child to eat fruit, there are many things you can do to make the process easier on everybody in the family.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Offer fruit cut in fun shapes. Pineapples, apples and pears can be shaped using cookie cutters and added as part of a healthy snack. Children may be more likely to eat fun-shaped fruits if you offer them along with ice cream, frozen yogurt or whipped cream.

2. Feed fruit to your child with every breakfast. While juices are not the best choices (even natural juices are high in sugars and low in fiber), they are better than no fruits at all. Start with juice (preferably fresh squeezed), and then slowly replace it with fresh fruit.

3. Keep fruits handy. Either fill a bowl with oranges, apples and bananas as a table centerpiece, or keep a bowl at a handy height inside the refrigerator, so that is the first thing a child sees when he opens the refrigerator.

4. Provide add-ons, as an apple may be more tempting when paired with peanut butter, and bananas can be hard to resist when topped with melted chocolate. If your child refuses to eat fruit because of the flavor, such add-ons may help mask the taste enough to make fruit acceptable. If she just says no because she thinks fruit is too boring, the toppings can provide enough of a fun twist to attract even the pickiest eater.

5. Buy frozen berries and make them into smoothies. Serve the smoothies as desserts or as afternoon snacks. Resist the temptation to add sugar to the mix, as the fruit is sweet enough to provide a tasty meal without the added calories.

Tips & Warnings

• Feed fruits as a reward rather than a punishment. Don't give ice cream and cookies to celebrate something and offer fruit for other occasions. Instead, add fruits to deserts and snacks prepared for special occasions.
• Introduce a new fruit in small quantities to give your child enough time to adapt to the taste and texture.
• Consider canned or frozen fruit if your child refuses to eat fresh versions.
• Watch out for potential allergies when you feed your child a new fruit. Kiwi fruit can cause serious reactions in certain people, as can strawberries and pineapples.