Young children need healthy meals to support their development. While it can be challenging to get kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, you can implement a few tricks to ensure they get enough pineapple, spinach, and other healthy necessities. If you’re a parent of a picky eater, here’s what you can do to ensure they enjoy a well-rounded meal

3 Tips for Creating a Healthy Lunch for Kids

1. Serve the Essential Food Groups

To ensure your child gets enough nutrition in every meal, try to hit every food group, such as fruit, protein, vegetables, and dairy. Citrus fruits, like pineapples and oranges, are packed with vitamin C, which will support their immune system and keep them healthy.

Kids also need protein to help them build strong muscles—opt for lean meats, like chicken, to avoid adding extra fat to their meal. You should also incorporate vegetables, as they’re an excellent source of fiber and essential minerals, like iron. Serve their lunch with a glass of milk to give them an extra boost of calcium, which will support their bone growth.

2. Cut Their Food Into Fun Shapes

Although this is an extra step, it’ll help get your kid excited about mealtime. Firm fruit, like pineapples, can be cut into stars since their texture can hold the shape’s points. If you’re serving something softer, like a veggie wrap, slice the roll at an angle to show off its unique inner swirl. You can also buy sandwich cutters and molds to transform their meal into familiar shapes or characters quickly.

3. Add an Incentive

Some kids may need extra motivation to eat the healthy foods on their plates. If your little one is a picky eater, motivate them by offering a small piece of Waialua chocolate if they finish their vegetables. You can also motivate them with an extra hour of outdoor play, a second bedtime story, or colorful stickers.

While vegetables can be tricky to incentivize, you can encourage your child to eat their fruit by offering sweet, juicy pineapple from Dole/Tropical Fruits Distributors of Hawaii. This team grows its signature fruit in rich, volcanic soil to produce local, low-acid pineapple. Shop their selection online, or call (808) 847-3234 to place an order.