‘Fruit expert’ reveals easy ways children can get their full five-a-day

Getting children to eat fruit and veg is a daily struggle for most parents – but many kids don’t even understand how the produce gets from the farm to their plates, according to a study. Almost half (45 per cent) of mums and dads with children aged five and under said their kids are clueless about this process. However, 50 per cent of the 2,000 parents polled also claim to ‘go the extra mile’ to teach their little ones about the benefits of fruit and veg. And 29 per cent educate them on the vitamins found in this food type. It also found 90 per cent of parents believe there’s room for improvement in their kid’s eating habits – with the typical child aged five and under getting just three of their five fruit and veg a day. The study was commissioned by Innocent Drinks , which yesterday held a fruit festival in partnership with Crockford Bridge Fruit Farm in Surrey. Katie Peacock, spokesperson for the drinks brand, which has created a range of family-friendly fruit and nature-related activities , said: ‘We’re on a mission to get more fruit and veg into people’s diets, and we know this can be particularly tricky for parents. ‘By hosting the innocent Fruit Festival this year, we aim to educate and engage families about the power and deliciousness of fruit, to hopefully make it that little bit easier for parents to get more portions of fruit and veg into their children’s diets.’ The study also found 25 per cent of parents find getting their children to get their five-a-day ‘difficult.’ Reasons why include ‘they don’t like it’ (43 per cent), ‘they are fussy’ (53 per cent), and ‘they don’t like the textures’ (35 per cent). Perhaps as a result, 61 per cent have sneaked fruit and veg into their little one’s diet by blending and hiding it in their meals. It also emerged 40 per cent of those polled feel a mixture of excitement and dread when encouraging their kids to try new fruit and veg. Carried out through OnePoll, the study found 77 per cent of mums and dads revealed they give their children fruit and veg they know and like – to ensure they get the goodness they need. Surrey mum Sophie Jenkins, who attended the innocent [corr] Fruit Festival, said: “The kids had so much fun and it was a lovely way to spend the day. ‘The fruit art station was a real hit – it was great seeing my little one playing and trying fruits he doesn’t usually eat.” Top tips on how kids can get their full five-a-day- according to Innocent’s ‘Fruit Expert’ – Louisa Handley: Include fruit and veg into your children’s diets that are a range of colours – just like the rainbow – to get them excited about eating them. Adding fruit to each meal will help increase your five a day. Meals such as breakfasts, salads and desserts are easy dishes to add fruit and veg to. Make fruit as fun as possible for the family and to get kids to understand more about the textures and flavours of fruit. Have a go at mashing up berries and using them for fruit art where you can draw your favourite fruit