Fun: The Secret Ingredient for Getting Kids to Eat Well

(ARA) - From friendly clown spokesmen to colorful grab-and-go convenience, fast food has a lot of appeal for kids. Is it any wonder, then, that nearly a third of all American children are overweight and 15 percent outright obese?

Increasingly, health advocates, nutritionists and smart parents are fighting fire with fire by presenting healthy foods in ways that children will find fun and appealing.

"Sure a lot of unhealthy foods taste good, but children also choose these foods because they are perceived as 'fun,' " says Jodi Berg, marketing director of Vita-Mix Corporation, a company that has been making kitchen appliances dedicated to healthy eating that's delicious, fun and easy for over 70 years. "Fun is the secret ingredient that can also get kids to choose foods that are good for them."

Anne DiCello, MS, RD offers the following tips for presenting healthy foods, like vegetables, unprocessed fruits and whole grains, in fun ways kids will love:

1. "Start healthy habits in the high chair."

Babies who start out eating healthful foods grow up into adults with a good dietary foundation. Many pediatricians recommend parents make their own baby food, rather than feed infants commercially prepared foods that are often full of water, starch, sugar or meat fillers. Homemade baby food can provide better nutrition at a fraction of the cost.

Making baby food by pureeing fruits and vegetables with a little water is easy in a powerful blender like the Vita-Mix Super 5000. The machine breaks the whole foods down to the cellular level, so nutrients are freed-and the valuable fiber is not stripped away.

2. "Turn kids into 'smoothie operators.' "

There's no denying that smoothies are strong on the fun factor. Unfortunately, smoothies purchased from an ice cream shop, or packaged ones from a grocery store, often contain excess sugar and preservatives. Very often, they are made with processed fruit syrups that are missing most of the whole food fiber and nutrients.

Making smoothies at home with whole fruits and your own healthy ingredients is a great way to put the nutrition back into this kid-friendly treat. Older kids can help prepare the ingredients and create new combinations.

"Smoothies are a great way to get kids to eat both fruits and vegetables," says Berg. "Start out with a healthy base of fresh fruits, and even the most militant anti-veggie toddler won't be able to taste the squash or carrot you've slipped into the smoothie."

3. Make guilt-free "instant" ice cream that kids, teens and adults can all enjoy.

Rare indeed is the child who does not like ice cream. However, parents abhor the high fat and sugar content that is found in many store-bought brands. Using the Vita-Mix machine, it's easy to prepare healthful frozen treats in under a minute. A powerful motor and precision blades turn healthy ingredients like frozen fruit and low fat milk into a soft-serve style ice cream with all the flavor of more fattening fare.

Homemade bread is another great way healthy ingredients taste great to kids. Instead of buying "enriched" white bread, you can grind nutritious whole grain flour in the Vita-Mix machine and add cranberries, zucchini, pumpkin and carrots to basic bread recipes.

To learn more about the Vita-Mix and for recipes and ideas on incorporating healthy meals that are also fun into kids' diets, visit www.vitamix.com/araprs.

Courtesy of ARAcontent