Getting your kids to eat healthy foods can be a real pain. Sometimes they really don’t like the taste of certain foods, but other times, it’s actually just all in the mind. Over the years, I’ve come across some hilarious yet brilliant tactics mom use to get their kids to eat healthier, and I must say, making fruit and vegetables look fun on a plate is one of the easiest ways to do so. A little bit of trickery, sure, but it’s for a good reason. And if they’re exposed to this food in a fun way, they may come to realize that they aren’t actually all that bad.
Jump to:
- 1. Bell Pepper Egg Flowers
- 2. Skeleton Veggie Tray
- 3. Banana Penguins
- 4. Egg Hens
- 5. Apple Owls
- 6. Crab Apple
- 7. Broccoli
- 8. Boat Sandwich
- 9. Veggie Boats
- 10. Turkey Peppers
- 11. Owl Bagel
- 12. Fruity Race Cars
- 13. Fun Oatmeal
- 14. Fruit and Veggie Snails
- 15. Rainbow Fruit Skewers
- 16. Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups
- 17. Fruit Popsicles
- 18. Oscar the Veggie Grouch
1. Bell Pepper Egg Flowers
Add colorful bell peppers to your little one’s breakfast by turning them into these fun “egg flowers.” Crack an egg into each pepper ring, cook until set, and serve on whole-wheat or brown bread for a healthy, playful start to the day. It’s a great way to sneak in veggies while keeping breakfast exciting!
2. Skeleton Veggie Tray
Turn boring veggies into a fun skeleton veggie tray that kids will love! Arrange colorful bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and olives into a playful skeleton shape with a bowl of dip as the “head.” This healthy, festive snack makes veggies exciting, and serving it with whole‑grain crackers or bread adds even more nutritious goodness.
3. Banana Penguins
Bananas are packed with nutrients, making them a perfect healthy snack for kids. Turn them into adorable chocolate-dipped penguins, and stick your little birdies in the freezer for about 20 minutes to make a fun, refreshing summertime treat. You can try some healthy banana pancakes, too!
4. Egg Hens
For the most part, kids seem to enjoy hard-boiled eggs, so you can use these cute hens to entice them to eat the garden of spinach, lettuce, or other leaves around the happy little hens.
5. Apple Owls
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so you should definitely try to get your kid to snack on apples regularly. How could anyone say no to this hoot? You could even treat them to an owl cake if they finish all their dinner!
6. Crab Apple
If your little one prefers red apples to green, then a red crab could be the perfect little edible fruit crustacean. A little bit of creative knife work is in order, but you’re not exactly carving a work of art, so don’t get intimidated.
7. Broccoli
I’ve always felt sorry for broccoli and could never understand why it’s so hated by kids – I’ve always loved it! A clever way to sneak it to your kids is to toss it in their favorite mac and cheese or blend it up in crispy cheesy bites. Hopefully, they’ll eventually come to love the little green trees.
8. Boat Sandwich
Most kids love classic PB&J sandwiches, so if they have to eat through the healthy celery sticks and raisins to get to their yummy prize, you may just be on to something.
9. Veggie Boats
These veggie-filled zucchini boats are on an adventure, and their destination is your child’s stomach! The recipe is really easy to follow, and it tastes so yummy – hopefully the kids will agree and set sail!
10. Turkey Peppers
Who says you can only enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving? Just look how cute and colorful this little guy is! The array of peppers makes it look enticing to eat, and if you have a nice dip ready, your kids are more likely to scoop it up with the available veggies.
11. Owl Bagel
The owl craze isn’t over yet, and this fun bagel owl is the perfect way to get your child excited about trying new fruits! Use banana slices, blueberries, or even mango for the wings, eyes, and beak — feel free to get creative with your favorite fruits or healthy toppings.
12. Fruity Race Cars
I know we like to teach our children not to play with their food, but in the case of these grape and apple race cars, there may just be an exception. If you’re worried about the pointy toothpicks, you could try gluing on the wheels with some peanut butter instead.
13. Fun Oatmeal
A humble bowl of oatmeal can be a very nutritious breakfast meal, but if your kid isn’t entirely convinced, maybe a bit of prettying up can do the trick to encourage them to eat not only the oatmeal, but also get the healthy fruit in, too.
14. Fruit and Veggie Snails
Peanut butter was my kryptonite as a kid (it still is…), so my mom quickly learnt how to get me to eat veggies that I didn’t like. Celery and peanut butter? Hell yeah! A celery, apple, and peanut butter snail? Why the hell not?
15. Rainbow Fruit Skewers
For the most part, kids love vibrant colors, so getting them to ingest all those healthy vitamins and antioxidants from fruit could actually be as easy as making these rainbow skewers. A bit of honey and yogurt dip could sweeten the deal even further!
16. Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups
Everyone loves fruit roll-ups, right? Make your own healthier versions without all the sugar and additives so that your kids can get all the healthy yumminess without all the nasty bad stuff. You can even let them choose their own flavors since these are so easy to make!
17. Fruit Popsicles
If you give a kid an ice cream or a popsicle, there’s no way he or she will refuse it. The way to be clever here is to make your own popsicles from fruit and fruit only. No sugar, no syrup, just all-natural fruity goodness.
18. Oscar the Veggie Grouch
If Oscar the Grouch from the Muppets found his way to your child’s plate, do you think they’d want to gobble him up? This creative little arrangement is a clever way to get your kid to eat some peas and maybe even broccoli, so it’s worth a shot!
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