🥦 How Can I Encourage My Child to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables?

taryngeller
May 15
3 min read

If you're a parent, you've likely faced this classic struggle: your child refuses to eat broccoli, pushes away peas or trades apple slices for crackers. You're not alone, getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables is one of the most common concerns among Australian parents.

At Lil’ Nibbles, we believe that healthy eating can be both fun and stress-free. With the right strategies (and a bit of patience), even the pickiest eaters can learn to love their greens and their reds, oranges, and purples too.

👶 Why Are Fruits and Veggies So Important for Kids?

Fruits and vegetables are packed with:

Vitamins and minerals that support growth and immunity
Fibre for healthy digestion
Natural antioxidants to fight inflammation
Energy to fuel learning and play
Improves a diverse gut microbiome

But the benefits go beyond nutrition. Helping kids develop a taste for whole foods early on sets the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits.

🥕 8 Practical Tips to Get Kids to Eat More Fruits and Veggies:

1. Make Them Visible and Accessible

Cut up fruits and veggies ahead of time and keep them at eye level in the fridge. Offer them first when your child is hungriest, before meals or after school.

Try this:Include our veggie tots as a side to a meal.

2. Offer a “Safe Food” Alongside New Ones

Kids feel more confident trying new things when they’re served next to something familiar. At Lil’ Nibbles, we always include at least one “safe food” in every meal to ease the pressure.

3. Get Creative With Presentation

The same food in a different shape can make all the difference. Think fruit skewers, cucumber ribbons, rainbow veggie wraps or our heart shaped gummies.

Lil’ Nibbles hack: Try our Mini Veggie Frittatas and veggie tots, they sneak in extra veggies and kids love them!

4. Let Kids Help

Kids are more likely to try what they helped make. Let them pick a veggie at the store or help wash, stir or serve during meal prep.

5. Serve Veggies in Different Ways

Raw, steamed, roasted, blended in smoothies, experiment until you find what works. Don’t give up if your child rejects something once (or five times!). It can take 10–15 exposures before a child accepts a new food.

6. Avoid Pressure or Bribes

We know it’s tempting, but forcing or bribing often backfires. Instead, create a calm, positive environment and trust your child to decide how much to eat.

7. Model the Behaviour

Kids watch everything. When they see you eating and enjoying fruits and vegetables, they’re more likely to give them a try. Try this: Eat the food with your child and chew it in a funny way for your child to copy.

8. Incorporate Into Familiar Foods

Add veggies to meals they already love, like finely grated carrot in spaghetti sauce or spinach in smoothies.

Bonus: Our Chia Gummies and Super Sprinkle Mix are an easy way to add fibre, calcium and iron into your child’s day without them even noticing.

🥗 Make Healthy Eating Simple with Lil’ Nibbles

Not every parent has time to peel carrots and negotiate with a toddler. That’s where we come in. At Lil’ Nibbles, we create pre-made, healthy foods for kids that are packed with nutrition and designed to appeal to young palates. From our Veggie Frittata Muffins to our Protein Muffins, every meal is:

✅ Dietitian-approved

✅ Packed with veggies

✅ Free from artificial ingredients

✅ Loved by kids and trusted by parents

💬 Final Thoughts

Helping your child eat more fruits and vegetables doesn’t happen overnight. But with gentle encouragement, variety and a little creativity, you’ll see progress and less stress at mealtimes.

Looking for healthy lunch box ideas for picky eaters or easy meals that sneak in veggies? Browse our Lil' Nibbles range and take one thing off your parenting plate.