MyPlate for Kids

Wondering how to make your child’s meals healthier? Make half their plate fruits and veggies.  Studies show that kids don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetable, yet their consumption of sweetened beverages and high fat foods is too high.  To encourage kids to eat their veggies, it helps to make it a fun experience by involving them in the preparation and working on the presentation.  Throw frozen fruit pieces with low-fat yogurt or milk in a blender to make a delicious smoothie.  Create characters with decorated veggies and let your child name their meal.  Experiment with your cooking methods, just because your child doesn’t like steamed zucchini doesn’t mean they will not love it grilled.  And when all else fails, hide the stuff!  You can puree veggies and add them to tomato sauces for pastas or mix shredded veggies with cheese in a quesadilla; once the cheese melts it is hard to pull the healthy veggies out J.  You too can outsmart your kids!  

For more useful tips and information, check out Choose MyPlate Tip sheets at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet11KidFriendlyVeggiesAndFruits.pdf