Getting Kids to Eat More Fruit and Veggies

 
Wash it, cut it up and put it out.

I could just end the post there.  Seriously, sometimes it is just that easy.

One of my kids asked for blueberries, so I bought a pint.  Few days later, the pint still sat sadly untouched in the fridge.  So, I took it out, rinsed the berries and put them in a bowl on the counter.  Gone that afternoon.

We could have apples in the produce drawer for weeks, but if I pull them out and slice them, the kids will eat them.  I've seen some parents pack whole oranges in their kid's lunches.  Are they truly surprised when their child doesn't eat it?  I wouldn't even peel an orange if I only had 15 minutes to eat. 

Even works with veggies.  I buy a head of cauliflower, rinse it and cut it up.  My youngest gobbles it up.  I know it won't always be this easy.  Raw broccoli is still a hard sell in our house.

There are some schools of thought (my Mom) that believe that teenagers should be self-sufficient and be able to prepare their own food.  Well, anyone who actually has a teenager knows that is highly unlikely.  So, I suck it up and do the 2 minutes of work for them knowing I feel better when they eat their fruits and vegetables.