Trying to win a battle against your kids can be tedious and not fun. Instead of trying to reason with them about the proper nutritional values of eating vegetables, fruits and whatnot, here are 5 neat tricks you can get them to clean their plates without having a full-blown debate. 

1. Get the kids involved

Getting your kids involved is a foolproof way to make sure that they eat their fruit and vegetables. Take them to the supermarket (or get them involved when shopping for groceries online) and let them explore the range of food available in the fresh produce section. Allow them to choose a few ingredients which catch their eye or would like to have in their meals. Pique their interest further by sharing bite-sized information about their chosen greens or fruits, like its taste, texture and nutritional value in layman terms (for example, the carrot is good for the eyes). You might even want to let them decide on how they want their chosen vegetables cooked as a way to encourage them to eat more of their own ‘creation’.

2. Lead by example

As simple and straightforward as it sounds, lead by example. Take a stand as parents by switching out your regular meals to incorporate more healthier ingredients as you would with your kid’s diet. This works well if your kids are at the stage of trying to mimic what their parents do and adopt the same behaviour, mannerism and hopefully, healthier food choices. Similarly, this practice will also benefit you (as parents) to consume healthier meals. We’ve got our list of recipes you can make with a Thermos® Shuttle Chef® here! 

3. Healthy guilty pleasures

Been suppressing your craving for pizza because you want to be a good role model for your kids? Well, there are always alternatives to satisfying your guilty pleasures while increasing your kid’s healthy food consumption. For instances such as pizza, just opt for the one that incorporates more vegetables, instead of a full cheese or full meat option. Additionally, you can always call in to check if it’s possible to top up with additional servings of vegetables. Simple food substitution goes a long way!

4. Increase healthy snack times 

While snacking provides supplementary nutrients and energy needed for your kid’s growth and daily activities, you can use this chance to sneak an additional serving of fruits into their diet. Simple cut fruits work great, especially bite-sized berries or fruits with high water content, like watermelon or pear (perfect for hydration too!). If your kids aren’t too fond of eating fruits in their natural form, you can always switch it up with simple recipes like banana-peanut butter sandwich or a fruity gummy bear treat that’ll fit in their Thermos® Food Jar perfectly. 

5. Juices, Purees and Yoghurt

When in doubt, make juices, purees or infuse healthy ingredients in yoghurts. While vegetables or fruits in their solid form may seem daunting or even unappetising to kids, juicing it might just do the trick. It’s an easier task for your kids to slurp on a drink than chew on food, and as compared to plain, tasteless water, your kids would very much prefer to drink the sweeter fruit juice. Sneak in ingredients without making it look and taste obvious, like masking the taste of a carrot in an apple-pear-orange fruit juice combo, and experiment with different combinations to see what does and doesn’t work with your kids.