Getting more fruits and veggies into my children’s diets is one of my top priorities when I’m serving meals and snacks.
There was a time, when I only had young children, when I was more concerned that everything be 100% organic (milk, meat, produce). The result of this mindset was that we could afford very little produce.
I thought that I was doing the best for my family by spending the majority of our grocery money on organic meat and milk. But in retrospect, I can see how my thinking was majorly flawed.
The USDA MYPLATE recommendations are that half of your plate (meal) be fruits and veggies. So basically, I was getting half of our family’s diet wrong.
We were sick all.the.time. You can read more about those eating misadventures here.
Today though, I want to talk about how to make sure you are getting more fruits and veggies into your children, even on the very busiest of days.
Whether you are running errands all day, taking your children to the zoo, or traveling, I’ve got some ideas for you.
Maybe you have a new baby, or you have several small children (which means you’re doing ALL the work all by yourself!), and the thought of prepping and serving fruits and veggies makes you feel totally overwhelmed. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
(This post was developed in partnership with Similac. All opinions are my own.)
Getting More Fruits and Veggies Through Snacking
Only serving fruits and veggies for snack time is one way that I can always sneak a few more servings into my children’s diets. They have gotten used to the fact that fruits and veggies are what they get to eat if they are hungry in between meals.
If you’re looking for the quickest, easiest snacks, choose the fruits and veggies that won’t require prep (skinning, cutting, cooking, etc).
For fruits, the easiest choices are bananas, apples, pears, grapes, clementines (clementines and bananas obviously need to be peeled, but they are so easy to peel that you can (and should) teach your toddler to do it).
Steer clear of melons, pineapple, peaches, mangoes, etc. These fruits take too much time to serve (and are messy if you are out of the house!). Save these for a time when you aren’t rushed.
For veggies, go with raw options that again don’t require the prep. Baby carrots are great, celery sticks are good if you have a few minutes to rinse off and rough chop into manageable lengths, cherry tomatoes, snow pea pods, and cucumbers can be chopped quickly.
Here’s one veggie suggestion that is perfect for quick, easy snacks…frozen peas. My mother-in-law always served these to my husband when he was a growing up. He calls them green candy. Your kids may love them too!
Remember, if you keep the choices simple, it will be so much easier getting more fruits and veggies into the kids.
Getting More Fruits and Veggies with Go and Grow by Similac Pouches
I’ve discovered a new secret weapon in making sure that all of my children’s nutritional needs are met.
I had never tried the pureed fruit or veggie pouches before. But I grabbed four different flavors of the Go and Grow by Similac pouches at Walmart last week.
They offer two different age ranges, one for babies under a year old, and one for toddlers older than a year.
The flavors that I picked up for my 18 month old were:
- Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Banana, Carrot, Spinach, Broccoli
- Mango, Sweet Potato, Pear
- Mango, Apple, Butternut Squash, Spinach
- Apple, Butternut Squash, Banana, Blueberry
He loved all four flavors, but his favorite was the Mango, Apple, Butternut Squash, Spinach.
He actually started crying at one point when I wasn’t feeding him fast enough.
I also had a chance to try out the Go and Grow Toddler Drink. This is a powder that comes in packets (making it super-portable!).
Each 8 oz serving is fortified with “over 25 vitamins and minerals, has 30% of the daily value of iron, calcium, and vitamins C and E”. The drink also has OptiGRO **TM which is a blend of DHA, Lutein, and Vitamin E for the brain and eyes.
The Go and Grow Toddler drink comes in unflavored and vanilla and is NON-GMO.
I purchased the Vanilla Stick Packs and served it up to my 18 month old. He gulped it down without hesitating. He is not used to getting a flavored drink, as we generally only serve milk and water, so this was a special treat for him.
The Go and Grow Toddler drink would be perfect for road trips, or days that would be spent away from home. Unless you want to deal with a cooler and ice packs, taking milk on road trips is usually not feasible. The drink sticks solve that problem easily and with little mess or fuss!
To find out more about the Go and Grow by Similac pouches, check out for more information.
You can get $.50 back from Ibotta on one Go and Grow by Similac pouch through this link.
Enter the to win a custom photo book with the #GoAndGrowAtWalmart giveaway here!
Let’s wrap it up!
For my family, fruits and veggies are one of the most important parts of our diet. So it’s really important to me to figure out ways to make sure I am getting the produce in, even on the busiest of days.
Keeping easy fruit and veggie snacks on hand and accessible has always been my go-to mom hack for checking off that nutritional box.
Now, I have several Go and Grow by Similac pouches stuffed in my diaper bag, along with the Go and Grow Toddler drink sticks and an empty sippy cup.
What are some ways that you make sure your children are eating healthy foods on the go?
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