Children's difficulty to eat fruit!

[dee28]

I am new to Mumsnet and I need advices on some issues with my children. They are 2, 5 and 8 years old. The 2 years old boy doesn't like fruit at all, I tried a lot to give him the fruit or chop it but he refuses.

Same case with my 8 girl, she knows that fruit are healthy diet and she is aware of the consequences of eating snacks and junk food but she prefers that than eating a fruit even if I try to involve her to pick the kind of fruit she likes or make it in a nice shapes.

My 5 years old girl eats fruit but she doesn't eat it daily and I am trying with her to have at least two portions with the 2 to 3 portions of vegetables. I want to succeed in at least making one of my children eats in a right healthy way.

Also, I have a 15 years old brother who eats rarely fruit and he is not also the kind of sweets eater but he really loves to fry chicken, hamburger, fries and these kind of junk food.

So now after I think I made a clear picture to you, my questions are:
How to make my 2 years boy and 8 years girl try fruits and love them? How to make my 5 years girl eat fruits frequently (2 portions everyday)?
How to make my brother get rid of junk food on daily basis and eat instead fruit?

That stress me a lot because I really want to make my children healthy and that won't happen without healthy eating habits.

[Thesebootsweremadeforwalking]

DS had a phase of not wanting fruit. While he got over it we offered dried fruit (like raisins and apricots), smoothies, juice, apple/ other fruit pies and crumbles with custard, rainbow fruit salads, ice lollies made from fruit puree. I also got hold of a kid-safe knife from a Pampered Chef party so he could chop up things like ripe pears himself, then he'd eat at least a little bit.

My HV mentioned yesterday that she resorted to dipping things like banana in chocolate to get her son to eat a bit of fruit!

[Artandco]

Just don't offer or have any other type of snacks in the house. No need for the fried stuff either. Soon they will learn snack is strawberries or nothing. The option if crisps/ biscuits etc isnt there if you don't buy.

15 year old can choose to eat crap out of the house but I wouldn't let him have it in the house if its that tempting to a 2 year old

[ExBrightonBell]

Well, unless your brother lives with you and you have parental responsibility for him, then you can't do anything to change his eating habits. That would be for his/your parents to deal with.

As for your children, I would say just keep offering it regularly, and don't make any kind of fuss over whether they eat it or not. Don't get drawn into any conversation about whether they like it or not etc. Just give them the fruit (as a pudding or as part of a pudding for example), sit with them and eat your own serving of it, and then take it away after a reasonable amount of time.

One of the things that is important to realise about children and food is that you can't make them eat anything. Our job as parents is to offer healthy balanced food, and it's up to the child to eat it, or not. It can take at least 15 serving times of a food before children will try it, so you have to be super persistent with offering it. It does really help to eat the same as them to model the behaviour that you want.

You could give your children a daily vitamin supplement if you're not doing so already. If they eat a good range of vegetables then that's a good start.

[BertieBotts]

Does your brother live with you? If not then I'd say don't worry about his food habits, that's not your battle! :)

Do you like fruit? If you don't eat it then they might not want to try it. Also if you make it a big issue then they tend to refuse stuff just because it's fun

I would just keep offering it along with other foods, they can take it or leave it. :)

[napoleonsnose]

DD (16) has never liked fruit. I used to try constantly to make her try it but she would always spit it out. Her DB on the other hand will eat pretty much all fruit. We eventually discovered she liked dried apricots but that was it. Now she will eat strawberries on occasion but that is it. She is perfectly healthy and eats veg with no problem at all. I really wouldn't worry too much, provided they eat a wide-range of other healthy foods, they'll be fine.

[dee28]

Yes my brother lives with me and I am responsible for him, that's why I asked what I should do about that?

Yes I like fruit, I try to eat fruit in the same time with them, but they always refuse and they want to go for another snack (sandwich, etc..) except my 5 years old girl she sometimes eat with me but not all time!

[ExBrightonBell]

I wouldn't give them an alternative if they don't eat the fruit that you've given (whether as a snack or as part of a meal). If they don't eat it then just take it away, no alternatives.

Your brother is a more tricky situation, as he's 15. I would perhaps make sure that you offer him fruit and healthy food, but it will be very hard to change what he chooses outside of the house.

[sunbathe]

How about trying them with fresh peapods?

The peas inside are very sweet and most kids like to pop the pods.

You could try to get the kids growing cherry tomatoes - they may want to eat what they've grown?

[dee28]

They eat peapods in dinner. I don't have a garden and to be honest I don't have experience in growing fruit or vegetables.

[ExBrightonBell]

What do you think about the "no alternatives" suggestion?

Also, from your first post, do you mean your brother cooks unhealthy snacks for himself? If so, then you might have to have a rule that if anyone cooks it is for the whole family and is healthy.

[dee28]

Yes, I can try that with them, even though I know their reaction is going to be hard (crying, angry,etc...)

Yes my brother cooks for himself. I tried that before but his answer was I eat sometimes with you but I am not a child anymore and I don't have to eat the same as your children!!

[BecauseImWoeufIt]

Far better that they eat vegetables than fruit, anyway. Too much sugar in fruit!

[Jaffakake]

I'm 35 and was brought up to eat the odd apple or banana here or there. It wasn't really part of our diet, but was always seen as a good thing & my mum ate it often. I've never really eaten it and, as an adult, would love to like it. One summer I made the effort to try all different types of fruit. I discovered it's ok, but tbh I much prefer to chomp on a raw carrot, eat healthy coleslaw of raw veg than eat fruit. When I was pregnant it was weird that for about 2 weeks could eat nothing but fruit!

My son, 2.6, will happily chomp his way through a whole pack of strawberries. Maybe some of us like it and some of us don't?

I wouldn't make a big thing about it. Lead by example & if they eat it, they eat it. Possibly give them some vitamins just in case & then you won't worry so much.

[BertieBotts]

Yes, if they eat vegetables then don't worry about the fruit.

Do they like smoothies? That's a good way to eat fruit, and easy to make, you just need one of those £5 stick blenders (or any other blender but those are cheap and easy to clean).

[happybubblebrain]

When dd refuses to eat any fruit I get her to eat a raw carrot or cucumber instead, which she always prefers to fruit. Luckly she likes most vegetables so I'm not too worried.

It has always been hard getting dd to eat fruit. She will eat bananas sometimes. She used to like raisins but then went off them. She will occasionally eat some orange or apple. She won't try any other fruits at all.

I hide fruit in crumble and cake. Try making banana cake which is 50% mashed bananas.

[ExBrightonBell]

I think you may have to take a hard line with your brother. He is a child still, and you are responsible for him as he is part of your household. So the rule for everyone is that if you cook it's for everyone and it is healthy. I'm sure he won't like it, but I you don't want to change things then you won't be able to change what he eats.

[sharond101]

HOw about doing fruit kebabs with some dipping sauces and popping candy to go on the outside? Or a jelly set with fruit in it? Or puree some fruit and freeze it as ice lollies?

With your brother I'd try cooking vegetables in different ways. Maybe roasting vegetables, trying out flavoured oils, stir frying it or mashing it into potatoes.

[dee28]

@BertieBotts yes they like smoothies but not with all kinds of fruits.
@sharond101 I think they would like to try fruit with some sauces and popping candy and ice lollies. I will try that with them and see how it goes.

Thank you all for your advices and I will come back to you if I faced new problems which will happen all the time with children