How to Get Kids to Eat Vegetables (Using Fruit!)

• Knock, knock. Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce in, and we’ll bring the strawberries too!​​​​​​​
   
• Why did the banana go out with the broccoli? Because it couldn’t find a date!

Many kids hesitate with vegetables at first. Because children’s taste buds are especially sensitive to bitterness, veggies can be harder to embrace, while fruit is naturally sweeter and more appealing. That sweet tooth can actually work in your favor: fruit can help make vegetables more inviting in lots of different ways.

At Sticky Fingers Cooking® we’ve spent years guiding children through playful, positive cooking experiences. Over and over, we’ve seen how introducing new foods in a fun, low-pressure way helps kids grow more curious and confident at the table. In this post, we’re sharing a few of our favorite fruit-forward strategies that parents can try at home to make veggies feel more approachable.

Pair Veggies with Fruits Kids Love

One simple way to ease kids’ worries is to serve vegetables alongside fruits they already love. Doing so makes the veggies feel less intimidating and encourages kids to give them a try. Here are kid-approved favorites straight from our kitchen: 

• Chopped Rainbow Salad – Crisp apples mix with shredded carrots, cabbage, and celery for a bowlful of sweetness, crunch, and color. Tip: Let kids arrange the ingredients into a rainbow so tasting feels playful, not pressured.
• Amazing Apple-Carrot-Raisin Challah Knots – Grated carrots blend into soft, lightly sweet bread knots dotted with apples and raisins. Tip: Serve warm with apple slices to reinforce the fruit-veggie connection.

Make Veggies Fun with Color Games

Kids are natural pattern-finders, and color is one of the easiest for them to notice. Matching fruits and veggies of the same hue links the familiar with the new, making vegetables more approachable, and a lot more fun.
Try these tasty winners:

• Scrumptious No Sugar Carrot Cake Pancakes – Carrots, applesauce, and raisins come together in a warmly spiced orange-hued pancake. 
  Tip: Serve with orange slices or mango chunks for an all-orange breakfast plate. 
• ​​​​​​​Cool-as-a-Cucumber Tahini Sauce – Crisp cucumber and green apple blend into a creamy dip that’s delicious with raw veggies. 
  Tip: Offer alongside snap peas or celery to extend the green theme.

 Turn Veggies into Sweet Treats

Desserts are a natural favorite for kids, which makes them a friendly place to introduce vegetables. Combined with fruit, veggies can add subtle flavors and extra nutrients to familiar treats. Over time, those flavors become tied to fun experiences, helping kids see vegetables as something to enjoy rather than resist.
Two recipes our kids can’t get enough of:

• "Can't Beet It" Vanilla Shake – Bananas and beets blend into a bright pink, creamy shake that’s playful and delicious.
  Tip: Pour into a fun cup or add a colorful garnish to make it next-level.
• Lemony Zucchini Poppyseed Doughnut Holes – Bite-sized treats that stay tender and bright with zucchini and lemon zest.
  Tip: Serve with kiwi or grapes to extend the green theme. 

Let Kids be the Chefs

When kids help in the kitchen, they feel proud of their contribution. And that pride often leads to curiosity about tasting. We see this every day in our classes and camps. Even small tasks like rinsing berries, tearing spinach, or stirring a bowl can encourage kids to try new foods.
Try these kid favorites at home:

• Kid-Made Avocado Cilantr​​​​​​​o Salsa – A fresh dip that gets kids mashing avocados, squeezing citrus, and stirring everything together.
  Tip: Serve with veggie sticks so kids get veggies two ways!
• Crisp Savory Veggie Streusel – A crumbly topping of grated veggies, breadcrumbs, and spices that kids can mix and sprinkle themselves.
  Tip: Let them choose which dish to top—mac and cheese, pasta, or roasted veggies—for extra buy-in.

 Keep Food Fun + Pressure-Free

Helping kids warm up to veggies takes time, patience, and a sense of humor. Some days they’ll be all for it, other days it’s a hard pass — and that’s perfectly normal. Just remember to celebrate the little wins and keep the kitchen atmosphere light. Over time those small moments add up.

Want More Support?

At Sticky Fingers Cooking, we love turning “picky eaters” into curious food explorers. Through afterschool classes, camps, and cookbooks, we aim to make trying new foods a joyful experience. Ready for more recipes, playful ideas, and encouragement? We’d love to have you join us.

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