{"id":3234,"date":"2022-05-22T19:12:41","date_gmt":"2022-05-22T19:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/?p=3234"},"modified":"2022-05-22T19:12:41","modified_gmt":"2022-05-22T19:12:41","slug":"5-tricks-to-get-your-toddler-to-eat-more-fruit-and-veg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/6mnths\/5-tricks-to-get-your-toddler-to-eat-more-fruit-and-veg\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tricks to get your toddler to eat more fruit and veg"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fruit and vegetables are key to a balanced, healthy diet, but we all know that sometimes getting your toddler to enjoy them can be a challenge. Here\u2019s exactly why fruit and veg are so important and sneaky ways to get your toddler to eat \u2013 and enjoy! \u2013 them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re having trouble getting your toddler to gobble up their fruit and veg, you\u2019re not alone. Between the ages of two and six it isn\u2019t unusual for little ones to get a little more picky about the foods they are willing to try. But fruit and veg are an important part of a balanced diet \u2013 they boost immunity, provide important roughage, and are packed full of vitamins and minerals. In short, they ensure your child\u2019s healthy growth and development, promote good health, and protect against diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can you get your child to eat more of nature\u2019s bounty? Try these tricks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Sneak veg into sauces and their favourite foods
    <\/strong>Next time you\u2019re making a pasta sauce, meatballs, cottage pie, or even mac and cheese, add a little veg to the mix. It won\u2019t alter the taste and will ensure that your little one is getting a good dose of veg. Let Squish 100% Veg Puree<\/strong> be your secret weapon. Packed full of veggie goodness, Squish pouches have a convenient resealable lid which means you can use what you need to add some veggies to sauces and meals, then just pop the lid back on, put it in the fridge and use again for another meal. Choose from Squish 100% Butternut + Carrot<\/strong>, Butternut + Carrot + Sweet Potato<\/strong>, and Mixed Veg<\/strong>. Looking for recipe inspiration? Your toddler will love this quick and easy veggie-packed Pasta Sauce<\/u><\/a>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    1. Freeze it!
      <\/strong>Slushies are fun and delicious \u2013 and when they\u2019re made from Squish 100% Pressed Juice<\/strong> you can rest easy knowing your little one is getting a good serving of fruity goodness too. Simply keep a selection of Squish juice boxes in the freezer, then when you need a slushie, remove and let it defrost slightly, then serve \u2013 it\u2019s as easy as that! Squish 100% Pressed Juices <\/strong>are made from 100% fruit, are preservative free, and come in a range of thirst-quenching flavours, including Apple<\/strong>, Apple + Prune with Rooibos Extract<\/strong>, Pear + Prune<\/strong>, and Summer Berries.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      1. Offer dips
        <\/strong>Finger foods lend themselves well to dipping and are always a firm favourite with toddlers. Dips are also an easy way to sneak a serving of veg into your toddler\u2019s meal. Add a pouch of Squish 100% Veg Puree<\/strong> to a tub of cottage cheese or cream cheese, or blitz together with a can of drained chickpeas. Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Purees<\/strong> are free of preservatives, flavourants and colourants \u2013 and have no added sugar. This is also a good opportunity to offer your child raw vegetables cut into strips or fun shapes for dipping. Try cucumber, red or yellow pepper, or carrots. Remember children often have to try a new taste several times before they\u2019ll eat it with enthusiasm, so keep trying!<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        1. Get smoothie-licious
          <\/strong>Whenyou have a stash of Squish 100% Fruit and Veg<\/strong> Puree<\/strong> pouches in your pantry, a delicious smoothie packed full of natural goodness is just a quick blitz away. Smoothies are a great addition to breakfast and are also good to add to your little one\u2019s packed lunch. To make, simply add a pouch of Squish 100% Fruit and Veg Puree<\/strong> to a cup of natural yoghurt (or you can use half milk, half yoghurt) and blitz. Remember, you can use the veggie flavours too, especially Squish 100% Pear, Butternut, Yoghurt + Mango with Cinnamon, Pear + Sweet Potato <\/strong>or Apple, Beetroot + Guava.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          1. Bake them in!
            <\/strong>Every toddler loves a baked treat \u2013 but did you know they\u2019re also a great way to sneak a little more fruit and veg into their diet? The next time you\u2019re making your favourite muffin or pancake batter mix substitute the sugar with any Squish 100% Fruit Puree <\/strong>like Squish Summer Berries <\/strong>or Mango + Banana<\/strong> to take them to the next level of nutritious deliciousness. Double the batch, so you can freeze halve \u2013 that way you\u2019ll always have delicious snacks on hand for mid-afternoon treats and lunchbox fillers. You\u2019ll also want to try this Chocolate Brownie<\/u><\/a> recipe \u2013 your little one will never guess that they\u2019re packed with veggies and fruit!<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Fruit and vegetables are key to a balanced, healthy diet, but we all know that sometimes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6mnths","odd","has-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3236,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234\/revisions\/3236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/squish.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}