Getting sick is no fun for anyone.

• Don’t accept picky eaters. Children have to be introduced to a food around 10 times before liking it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Make the blender your friend! Try to sneak fruits and vegetables into meals using a blender, food processor, or just hiding it among foods your family is already familiar with (Three different ideas: grilled cheese and spinach sandwich, eggs and tomatoes, muffins loaded with fruits and bran). Pack different fruits into fruit smoothies for breakfast or a healthy, filling snack. Use straws and colorful cups to make this a fun, kid-friendly treat.
• Make your fruits and veggies easy to use. Clean and cut your fruits and veggies on Sunday night, or over the weekend. Pack them into individual containers that will help you save time throughout the week! Remember to keep fruits that can sit on the counter in a bowl in an easy to reach place for kids and family.
• Try roasting vegetables of any kind with a spoonful of olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper in the oven on a roasting pan for about 25 minutes. Delicious!
• Shop at your local farmer’s market, and take field trips out to neighboring farms. Noticing the fruits and vegetables that come from the soil around us might inspire your kids to try new foods and eat them more often. Take it to the next level by planting a vegetable garden with your children- start small, and watch the magic happen!
• Hold a salad night at least once a week. Chop tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, carrots, or whatever you have on hand. Let everyone start with a big bowl of lettuce, and see who can make the most colorful salad! Add low-fat dressing, hard-boiled eggs, beans, cheese, croutons, sunflower seeds and other favorites for an irresistible—and filling—dinner for everyone.
• Freeze! Some kids like veggies and fruits better frozen. So why not stick your favorites in the fridge for an hour and see what happens? Here are some to try: peas, strawberries, grapes, melon balls or chunks, pineapple chunks, mango slices, small pieces of broccoli, chopped bell pepper, sliced peaches and sliced bananas.
• Did someone say smoothie? Get out the blender and mix your favorite fruits with yogurt, orange juice, a bit of honey, or milk. You may even be able to sneak in some carrots or other sweet vegetables! Better yet, let the kids experiment with mixing flavors.
• Make fruity popsicles. Just mash some ripe bananas (or other fruit) and mix it with 100% fruit juice. Add a little lemon or orange juice to protect the color. Then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
• Stock up on ready-made frozen vegetable side dishes so that when dinner’s running late you have something you can pop into the microwave.
• Buy a small dry-erase board to hang on the fridge and help you keep track of the produce you’re all eating.
• Having trouble getting the kids on board? Let them help! They’ll be more likely to eat something if they’re proud of making it. Kids can help wash fruits and veggies, put slices onto a tray or into a pan for cooking, measuring and pouring other ingredients, as well as choosing recipes and picking out produce at the store.
• Stay positive. Don’t make eating vegetables a chore, or your kids will see it as one. Remember, you want to set them up for a lifetime of making good choices because it’s the right thing to do—not because Mommy or Daddy makes them.
• Choices, choices, choices. When it comes to getting small kids to do something, it helps to let them feel like they’re in control. Try to offer 2 fruits and 2 veggies at dinner, and let them pick one of each (or both!). Remember, you can offer the same ones at lunch the next day and their choices might be different.

1 serving of fruits or vegetables is ½ cup. That’s equal to 1 medium-sized piece of fruit.

Fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits and vegetables all count toward your daily total.