How can I get my son to eat fruits and vegetables??

Question

My son is 8 years old, and he doesn't have the best eating habits, which is completely my fault. Our whole family has decided to change our eating habits and have replaced candy and cookies with fruit, fries and macaroni with vegetables, but my 8 year old wants nothing to do with any of it. He insists on eating the junk that he is used to. I went shopping today and bought lots of different fruits, and made him try them, and he didn't like any of them. (I didn't buy any junk) How do you change old habits, and what can I do to change this?? Is it a matter of "if he's hungry, he'll eat it?"

You guys had really great ideas!! I guess I'm a bit boring when it comes to making new foods....Thanks so much and I will try them all!!!

Answer 1

Try adding fruits and vegetables to foods he already likes. Add fruit to jello, make an apple pie.....make vegetable tempura. That's Japanese fried veggies with a dipping sauce. Yes, it's fried...but it's still better than other junk food.

My kids love corn....especially Mex Fiesta Corn...or corn on the cob. Have you tried a juicer? My kids aren't crazy about carrots, but when I juice them with a few slices of apple thrown in....they love it. Add spinach and raw beets....and you have a health nuts dream.

Here is a health drink made from 19 different fruits that my children and I love to drink. It was shown on the Oprah Winfrey Show...and tested by the University of Florida

www.MyMonavie.com/Love

Let us know how you made out. :>)

Answer 2

My best friend has a HORRIBLE time getting his daughters to eat anything besides Top Ramen soup, mac and cheese, fast food, pasta with no sauce and pizza. And he only has them on the weekends so he feels like he's being a bad father asking them to eat something else. We took a cruise together and they were "forced" to eat what was served. All of a sudden they were eating salad, fruits, veggies, chicken, steak etc. I don't think a child should be starved into eating something but it sure is easier when you take other options away. I could bend over backward to make them a simple healthful dinner and they would cry and tell their daddy they were hungry and that my food made them want to vomit. Veggies with dip became an alternative to chips, milk and juice replaced sodas and fruits with a little whipped cream or a sprinkle of sugar took on the role of dessert. It really wasn't hard once they had limited options. I've even with held TV time or video games until they ate. If a child knows that they will win a battle of the wills there will be one. If they know you WILL stand your ground they will lose hope quicker :) Hope this helped.

Answer 3

First, sparkling out you refrigerator and cabinets of all junk food. top off on some clean and canned fruit. If there is not any junk in the domicile, the only factor left to snack on is the healthful stuff. seem up recipes on line for fruit deserts. that's a fruit barren area I made up on the fly: as with every food. presentation is important. If it seems good, you're greater probably to attempt it. uncooked vegetables with some dip is a great thank you to get a 13 y/o to consume it. that's a fruit barren area I made up on the fly: decrease an apple in a million/2. center and peel basically the nicely suited a million/4 of the apple. Make a bowl of butterscotch, vanilla, or cheesecake flavored pudding. purchase the prompt sort it extremely is fat-unfastened and sugar-unfastened. Fill the middle of the apple with the countless pudding. Pour over a sprint apple cider or apple juice, a pair of million/2 cup or so. Bake it at 350 for around half-hour. Sprinkle on a sprint cinnamon in case you like. Makes 2 servings. Make the sugar-unfastened, fat-unfastened chocolate pudding and decrease up 2 bananas in it. Tastes magnificent! If all else fails, do no longer issue. Tastes substitute. I hated vegetables while i grew to become into 13 too. i like them now. good success.

Answer 4

Yeah it is your fault sorry to say. Just dont change the rules in the middle of the game, which means you will have to taper him off the junk. Have him help you prepare the fruit and veggies, it tastes better if he makes it. Have him help you select the fruit and veggies you are going to buy. They have apple "chips" in the produce section.. might try that. It will be a job changing his thinking but you can do it !

Answer 5

I have a son with similar taste buds. Although he will eat broccoli. I try different ways to introduce fruit into his diet. I sometimes make smoothies. He thinks he is eating something like a milkshake. I also try making him drink more real juice, like OJ. I also have added fruit salad to dinner.
Sometimes, I still get frustrated. The other day, my son told me, "not to worry because he would probably like to eat veggies when he becomes an adult." lol.

Answer 6

grate a little cheese on steamed broccoli or cauliflower, saute cooked baby carrots with little honey, core an apple, put brown sugar, raisins, a touch of butter and a pinch of cinamin in the center and bake until the apple is soft, you can do the same with a pear, or make fruit crumbles using oats, a little butter and a little brown sugar for the crust, cover your cut apple or berries, or whatever with it and bake. Try making vegie skewers, everything is more fun to eat on a skewer, or get him to help you cook dinner, it's always more appetizing for a child when they help make it.

Answer 7

My daughter started that way until she was introduced to carrots and ranch dressing. Kids like to dip. Try out some finger foods. Sliced apples and peanut butter, Carrots or Celery dipped in ranch dressing, etc. Let him experiment. He will find what he likes and have fun at the same time.

Answer 8

Well you should tell him that if he doesn't eat his good food he doesn't get a little snack. My mom always used to put yummy fruits together.and those were like snacks to me.