Please tell us your ideas for getting children to eat more fruit - you could win £250 in supermarket vouchers

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

Do your children like fruit? Do they eat all sorts - or just the regulation daily banana?

ZESPRI Kiwifruit would love to hear your ideas for getting children to eat more fruit - whether your kids only just manage their five a day or are such fruit fiends, they could tell a kiwi from a kumquat at 40 paces.

Everyone who sends in an idea, tip or suggestion will be entered into a prize draw to win £250 in vouchers for a supermarket of their choice.*

Please note that your tips may be published on Mumsnet at a later date.

Thanks and good luck! MNHQ

*Participating supermarkets include Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Morrison, M&S and Waitrose

Allow your children to plant fruit like strawberry plants etc in the garden,then get them to be responsible for watering and picking the fruit as it grows.Caring for the fruit makes them want to eat it! Also, take them blackberrying in the autumn then get them to help prepare the fruit.

put in the fridge, (but not bananas) always seem really refreshing then, especially on a hot day - DS goes for that in the fridge 9 times out if ten. Oh and he will only eat banana if in the skin - he likes his fruit whole - not cut up!!

My DD loves fruit but if she doesnt fancy it I will make her a smoothie with lots of fruit and she always drinks that, sometimes she helps me make it too.
Eating with them helps too. My DD will always eat more fruit if she is eating it with her dad.

I dip whole strawberries and grapes in melted chocolate and chill them. The chocolate content is really very small, but it's enough to make them eat the fruit!

Other than that the best way (I have always found) is to make big bowls of fresh fruit salad, chopped up quite small, and always keep a lovely colourful unusual selection, not just the boring stuff. They are far more inclined to eat a bowl of that a day than reach for a whole apple, or peel an orange.

Mash or puree berries or banana and mix together with natural yogurt

Gets fruit into them, is MUCH cheaper than commercial yogurt and no nasty hidden ingredients

Mine eat a lot of dried fruit - not raisins as much as dried apple, pineapple, apricots etc which they have as 'sweets'

I gave my dd a bowl of prepared fruit every morning as part of her breakfast from as early an age as she could eat it. It soon becomes a habit especially if it contains strawberries and bluberries, although cheaper fruit like apples and pears are just as appealing if cut up nicely (peeled for the very young).

Quick & easy chocolate fondue - a tiny tiny pot of chocolate mousse wth lots of fruit slices ready to be dipped. It's amazing how much fruit mine will get through this way.

Take them to a pick your own farm. They won't be able to resist eating them while picking, and it always makes it a bit more special at tea time.

Buy pre-cut fruit in the supermarket. You won't have to cut it all up, and loads of people on Mumsnet will start threads about you.

The best way i have found is by having an allotment and letting them grow there own. its amazing what fruit and veg they will eat as they have grown it

We have always had fruit around and I have always eaten it as a snack, and naturally have fed it to DS (21 months) as snacks too. He likes most fruit but especially likes a big bowl of fresh fruit salad with lots of different types of fruit - the more colours the better.

I also take him to the greengrocers' every week and he chooses the fruit (and veg). The Green grocers usually gives him a few grapes or strawberries and I usually get him an apple for the way home - keeps him quiet for the whole 20 min walk!

For a treat we have fruit pancakes for Sunday breakfast or a quick, late supper. I make thick drop scone mix and blend in a banana, then stir in grated apple, the fry into drop scones. Yummy. No sugar required.

Chop it up, make it look nice, invite friends over that eat fruit, eat it yourself in front of them when you know they are hungry and you are both sitting in front of the fruit bowl, grow it and pick it when perfectly ripe, go to pick your own, make smoothies,crumbles,pies,ice lollies/creams/sorbets, serve with ice cream/custard/yoghurt/granola/crumbled digestives,freeze cubes of pineapple,vary it,buy seasonal so they appreciate it whilst its there.

Make smoothies
Take them to pyo farm, they usually end up eating the fruit there and then (and then you do't have to pay or it!)

Pimms number 1 (except replace Pimms with orange juice).

So orange juice, lemonade and chopped up fruit and cucumbers. Give them a cocktail stick and they will spend ages 'fishing' for fruit and seeing who can scoff the most.

offer a small amount of nicely presented fruit (cut/sliced) and let them choose what they want onto their own plate. Keep offering the fruit even if they don't choose it. grow own fruit to pick

My kids love fruit and so I have more problems getting them to stop eating us out of house and home than I do getting them to eat it.

My top tip is to make melon boats with sails made out of toothpicks and paper. Cut the melon up but leave it in the "boat" then they can use the toothpick to pick the pieces out and eat them

I'm another who has never had a problem with fruit. DD loves it - all kinds, except banana strangely enough.

The only thing I can think of is feed them loads of it from when you start weaning. I weaned dd on purees - had never heard of BLW but wish I had - and her very first was pear, then apple, then mashed banana. By the time she was 3 she could eat cherries and get the stones out herself. (Never peeled an apple either.)

My loves fruit, but i only started giving it to her when it was lovely and ripe and at room temperature. Even nicer if you can go to pick your own farms/grandad's greenhouse. Seeing where it comes from really helps.

I add raisins or banana to their Weetabix or porridge.
Always offer fruit if they are still hungry. This is the only way to get DS2 to eat fruit unless it is strawberries!

My daughter loves fruit, but i only started giving it to her when it was lovely and ripe and at room temperature. Even nicer if you can go to pick your own farms/grandad's greenhouse. Seeing where it comes from really helps.

I used to put cut up fruit in bowls next to them while they were playing. So next to the box of lego, garage etc. They just used to eat it whilst they played. Great fun when playing with their plates and dolls and had picnics.

Also they loved it when I gave them some cut up fruit whilst they were outside.

Agree with the fruit kebeb suggestions.

After they've had puding if they're still hungry I only offer fruit.

When we go to activities after school I bring a peice of fruit for them to eat on the way. Easy peasy as it has it's own packaging! Can just throw a couple of apple's etc under the pram.

Leave a bowl of grapes on the table.

Use chopped up pieces for counting or making towers out of (chopped banana works well for this) - they soon start popping bits of it in their mouths.

or pretend it's only for parents/"special" - they will soon be begging for some! good ol' reverse psychology!