Fun ways to increase your child’s fruit intake

Some kids love the variety of bright colored variety of fruits, while some, ahem just do not eat them. Schools have reopened and it’s that time of the year that we are quick school snacks are a bliss.

Since the holiday mood is setting in slowly but the temperature is refusing to reduce, here are some fun ways to get those nutritious fruits into their little bodies.

• Muffins – In addition to the delicious banana choco-chip and blueberry muffins, we have options like apple-zucchini-carrot muffins, chocolate-orange or buttermilk-orange muffins, lemon-raspberry muffins, blueberry-lemon muffins, whole wheat- pear muffins and much more.
• Ice popsicles – Which kid doesn’t love ice-popsicles in the hot summers? So, give them just that, with the health of homemade. Chop the fruits (chop one or make a rainbow), lay them in a tray and freeze overnight. In the morning just blend it (smooth) with some honey, greek yogurt and a few drops of glycerin.  Put this slushy batter into the mold and freeze. They get their favorite popsicles and you get the peace of mind.
• Frozen yogurt tarts – Top plain/vanilla flavored yogurt tarts with variety of fruit pieces to decorated as flowers, butterflies and animal/ human faces or puree the fruit into the yogurt itself and freeze.
• Fruit rolls – Just puree (real smooth) the mango or strawberry (my favs) or any fruit you like, spread the puree onto a baking tray (spread as think and even as you can) lined with baking paper, bake for a few hrs (bake till it’s nice n dry, might need you to flip it after 1 hr of baking). Cool it, place it on a cutting board, cut into strips and then roll those strips. These delicious fruits leather treats stay good upto a week so enjoy in batches.
• Blueberry yogurt sticks – Place those blueberries on a bamboo skewers, roll them in a plate of greek yogurt, freeze them (make sure they aren’t too close or else they’ll stick together). In a few hours, it’s ready to relish. It’s great for a make ahead snack (stays good in freezer for days) but need to be consumed quick once out of freezer.

There you go, endless options to let lose your creativity as you add the extra bit of fruity health into your child’s hot summer day.