What are your top recipes and tips for getting your DCs to eat more fruit and vegetables? Tell Tesco and you could win a £200 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

Tesco have asked us to find out what Mumsnetters' top tips and recipes are for getting their DCs to eat more fruit and veg.

Here’s what Tesco say, “Studies show that 90% of 7 – 14 year olds do not eat their five-a-day. Our Farm to Fork Trails allow children to touch, smell and taste a wide range of fruit and vegetables - some make fruit kebabs. Parents and Teachers tell us that children are more willing to try new varieties after the visit. We’d love to hear what you’re doing at home to encourage your DCs to eat more fruit and veg.”

So, what are your top tips for getting your DCs to eat fruit and vegetables? Perhaps you hide mushrooms in pasta sauce? Or maybe you have another method for sneaking peas and carrots into meals? Do you have any fail-safe recipes that your DCs love?

Whatever your top recipes and tips are, Tesco would love to hear them!

Everyone who adds their comments to the thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 Tesco voucher.

Please note that any comments posted on this thread may be used by Tesco in further marketing material (anonymously, of course).

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Im quite lucky as my DS eats most fruit and veg, but I always try and include "hidden" veg as well. Easy to do in stews, chills, and spaghetti sauces, just grate carrots, swede etc

To be honest, I introduced fruit and Veg from when they were able to feed themselves (or at least try to) in the high chair them self. The bright colours and textures always intrigued them. As they have grown I have never had a problem getting them to eat fruit and vegetables. In fact they love it.

Luckily my girls love Sunday dinner with lots of vegetables. They rarely eat fruit though even though their is plenty always in :( x

Making my own hidden vegetable pasta sauce worked with my two oldest children, but I'm struggling to get my youngest son to eat any fruit or veg so I'll be reading this thread with interest.

liquidise so it can't be spotted

Years ago I watched an episode of Oprah where a chef explained that you could puree vegetables and then hide them in almost anything, from sauces and meat/pasta dishes to cake mixes and even icecream! My biggest triumph was using pureed broccoli and beetroot in a chocolate cake and 'generously' allowing my son a second slice!

panckaes with fruit on with a small amount of choc drizzle

I am a big fan of letting children create their own meals. Cutting vegetables into shapes and arranging on pizzas or open sandwiches, to make faces or pictures, makes them seem really appealing and children always seem keener to eat their own creations! In a similar way, finding ingredients to make a 'rainbow' fruit salad is fun too. How many different coloured fruits can you find to try?

I start the day off with a fruit smoothie in which I have included some veg (they don't even notice the veg). I keep plenty of fruit and veg in the house at all times and if they need a snack in between meals its fruit or veg only I also usually serve at least two portions of veg with our main meal.

Let them choose a new fruit when shopping

Snack time is always a variety of veggie sticks in our house and my DC's love making fruit salad and smoothies. I think the key is to always offer fruit and veg - even if 'they don't like it'

I told them they were the magic foods that would make them like Harry Potter when they grew up.

Lots of multi fruit purees as well as 'hiding' vegetables in bolognese sauces

We always have fruit available and I think that helps. If its accessible and in plain view they are more likely to ask for it than if it's not there or they can't see it. The bright colours are a huge hit.

With vegetables we are quite lucky in that our son will eat most things however I cook them but through force of habit and trying to be frugal and make mince go further I always add things like grated carrot and grated courgette to mince so the veggies are there but you can't necessarily see them.

I've never forced my kids to eat their fruit and veg they just do. I do find that growing your own helps, getting the kids involved in growing watering etc. and then preparing it themselves to eat.

butternut squash, blue cheese, pumpkin seed and sage risotto... but my secret ingredient? the stock watered down home made vegetable soup made from butterbeans, celery, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms and saffron - it is so delicious everyone asks for more

It's not a chore in this house. We all LOVE fruit and veg.

My children are very competitive... So after years of struggling to get my 10 year old son to eat any veg i suggested lets see who eats the most carrots and broccoli, winner gets to stay up 10 minutes later..... To my shock he scoffed the lot.... Next day when thinking about what to do for tea, he piped up "mum can we have broccoli again please"

Sherherds pie or bolognese sauce with lots of finely chopped veg - onions, toms, mushrooms, sweetcorn, celery, carrots, broccoli stalks etc etc

At the moment I can only get my DD to eat fruit or veg if they are pureed (apart from potatos but I suppose chips don't count)!

Smoothies, the kids love them and making them but the joys of making them into a drink adds for excitement to drink them!
certainly no problem with veg, mine love almost everything and even love eating celery on its own, we dont even need to cut it up lol!

Learnt from my OH that taste starts young , so include them in infant foods, then don't make an issue of them. Make exploring new flavours exiting . Also do not beat yourself up about it. I hated tomatoes as a kid and love them now.

Mine's 5. With every meal, I include (at least) one veg/fruit that I know he likes. We might have to negotiate the rest, but seeing smething he likes gets the juices going. I'm really relaxed when it comes to meals. I sugeested yesterday he try " a tiny nibble" of sweet red pepper to see if he liked it, then used the rings to garnish his favourite sandwiches. Plus when we are out I always have a piece of fruit in my bag ready for a snack attack.

Getting kids to eat fruit is no problem, they eat the lot! They get fruit and carrot stick etc for breaks in school and in their lunch bags.

Vegetables are another matter. I blend veg into bolonese sauces, lasagne, stews and soups. Chop peppers, leeks, onions etc very finely and throw them in everything I cook. Mushrooms are detested in my house (even by DH) but I use them in nearly all my meals. Kids eat with their eyes..if they don't see the veg, they don't know they're eating it.

I have finally got them eating broad beans, sweetcorn, cabbage etc by putting it on my plate and kids being kids, they want what I have :)

Their taste change as they get older. My DS would refuse all veg but now loves broccoli, broad beans, cauliflower etc. However, even I draw the line at sprouts!

Foe recepies i blend up lots of veg and add it to spag bol, shepherd pie..etc.
I always offer aplate ful of fresh fruit for puddings...But my best tip..put the fruit up high, pretend they cant have it freely, make out its a treat..they want it even more!!!