Blog

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Now that the school season has begun, and the kids are back in school, making and packing school lunches becomes a daily task once again. As always, it’s very important what you are packing your kids to eat each day, as this is what’s going to keep them nourished and fueled for their day at school. Besides just steering clear of junk food, one other thing to keep in mind as you pack lunches is to include both fruits and vegetables each time.

According to a recent report, kids ages 1 to 5 are lacking when it comes to getting enough fruits and vegetables daily. Of the kids studied, 32.1 percent don’t consume a fruit daily, and 49.1 percent don’t consume a vegetable daily. While this report is mostly centered around younger kids, I think we can all agree that kids even a little older than 1-5 years still don’t like their fruits and vegetables!

Registered dietician Jennifer Hyland gives a few tips on how to increase your kid’s intake of fruits and vegetables. Some of them include:

• Start with small portions – This helps kids not be too intimidated by a huge pile of brussel sprouts on their plates!
• Serve fruits and vegetables consistently – Have a fruit or a vegetable with every meal, that way kids get used to it being a part of it every time they eat.
• Start them young – While feeding kids fruits and vegetables early on doesn’t guarantee that they will love them, it does help to create a positive relationship with them.
• Be an example – If you’re going to make your kids eat their fruits and vegetables, they should see you doing the same!

So, packing a bag of baby carrots, apple slices, cut celery, or grapes in your kid’s school lunches is a great way to make sure that they are getting some fruit and vegetables each day.

Arizona agriculture produces lots of fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Look for the Arizona Grown label the next time you’re out grocery shopping!

For more articles about kids and their nutrition, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!