Do you also have a child who doesn't like fruits very much? Or maybe you personaly are not a big fan of fruits or vegetables? Right now in the summer, when there are so many crops all around and the fields in all colors, it's a shame not to use this opportunity to try these goodies, which are a great source of vitamins and other useful nutrients!
Look at these strawberries! They are one of my favorite fruits and during summer, I love them in porridge in the morning, as a snack, or in a carafe of lemonade on our balcony. To this day, I remember turning my strawberry leaves as a child in my grandmother's garden and looking forward to discovering my first crop.
I would very much like this "little adventure" for my little boy.
I should mention that he is not a big lover of vegetables or fruits, so it's really a challenge to make these goodies attractive to him so that he’ll at least taste them. I try to offer fruits and vegetables regularly in various forms. As a salad, cut into pieces with cheese dip, as a dessert, once I was even very creative and created a fairytale character from vegetables!
Usually, however, he pushes the plate away with the words, "No" or "This vegetable is for my momy!" :-) I try not to force him to eat them, so that he does not develop resistance to it in the future and doesn’t associate it with something he had to eat in order to be rewarded. From my own experience, I know this is not the path I would like to take. So when it comes to time and energy, we look for other ways to entice him to eat fruits and vegetables and have a fun together.
I would like him to know fruits and vegetables the way I do, from the garden, with all the scents and colors that go with them. But how can I do this when we live in a city far from nature? Today, however, even large cities offer solutions! On a recommendation from my friend we went to a farm in Geneva where they grow seasonal fruit and you can pick it with the whole family. Is that not great? This farm is called La Fraisière
and we will definitely be back for another harvest. So we went to this farm one weekend, with a little basket.
As he knew strawberries only from a plate or the store, the fields of green leaves didn't tell him much at first. But my husband and I also showed him what was actually hidden under those leaves. When he saw that those strawberries around him, he was so excited that he carried a full cupcake one by one. As soon as he saw that he could "catch" his strawberry like this..., the mothers of boys will certainly understand :-) This took on a completely different meaning for him. He tasted enthusiastically between pickings.
I can't say that this trip made him an avid strawberry lover, but it was fun and at least he tasted them because he wanted to. Yes! So I will persevere offer recipes made from them over their season and see if he will get it in the end :-)
And what about you? Are you one of those lucky ones with your own garden full of fruits? Or do you also go to a farmer for fruit? Share your story it with me and I will be happy to read your tips or advice on how you serve fruits to your children and which fruits or vegetables they like the most :-) Have a nice day.
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