5 ways to get fruit and veg into your little ones this Christmas

The house is full of treats. I always overcompensate on the fact that my children can’t have dairy treats by having way more dairy free treats than even ten children would be hard pressed to get through. With biscuit tins and chocolates and desserts as frequent as square meals at this time of year, I want to ensure that my boys are getting their 5 a day. Or somewhere close to it anyway.

1) Be a good example. Have lots of fruit and vegetables chopped and ready to serve as snacks over the holidays. Snack on it yourself when your kids do. Normally at holiday time I don’t eat as much fruit as I do when working. This holiday I’m going to change this.

2)Put the fruit-bowl on the kitchen table. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. So put it in your way. If your children can reach the fruit they will love helping themselves.

3) Nice homemade dips such as sun-dried tomato tapenade and hummus might encourage little ones to eat the likes of carrot, pepper and cucumber sticks. Peanut butter is an unusual but delicious dip for carrot sticks too. If they are readily available your little ones will find it fun to dip them and you might even find yourself eating more veg than you would have otherwise!

4) A small bowl of fruit is a good and sweet snack at any time of day. Spend a few minutes chopping them and give them a bowl each as a snack. Not as quick as reaching for the biscuit tin but a lot healthier! You could also make fruit kebabs with only a tiny bit more effort. These look great on a table if you’re having people over and the kids will lap them up.

5) Make fruit your dessert, or a large part of it! Fruit salad, strawberries if you can find them, pear, banana, melon, pineapple, kiwi, grapes, blueberries – my kids love all these. My 5 year old loves to make his own fruit salad. Let them at it with a plastic knife. Entertainment and healthy food, what’s not to like!