Dhvani Shah is a naturopathic nutritionist, speaker and author of “Don’t just feed…Nourish your childâ€_x009d_, “Super foods for Super Womanhoodâ€_x009d_ and “Jinahaarâ€_x009d_. She has done extensive research in traditional diet therapies and naturopathy and its relevance in modern context and is pioneering drugless healing and well being through her unique approach – FIMS (Food Is Medicine & Supplement). She runs the “FIMS clinicâ€_x009d_ which supports a body-mind-spirit approach. Dhvani specializes in Woman and Child Nutrition by developing specialized nutrition programs, conducting workshops, formulating nutritious recipes, writing books and newspaper articles.
A lot of moms me included often wonder why is my child so averse to the thought of eating fruits. Where did I go wrong? What can I do and what if everything I tried is just not working out. We asked our nutritionist Dhvani Shah to help us answer all these questions.
Why doesn’t my child like fruit?
Is my child bored of the fruit routine? Did my child develop an allergy/ cold after eating fruit? Does my child prefer savoury foods over sweet foods? Does my child have a bad memory of eating fruit?
If you have answered positively to any of the questions, then you must know that eating fruit is more of a behavioral modification for your child. Follow the points given below to alter your child’s perception of fruit
Making fruit appealing for your child
1. Cut fruit into bite sized pieces to enable ease at picking them up. Make a colourful goody bowl of fruit.
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2. Weave an interesting story around each fruit.
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3. Fruit art – cut fruit in different shapes and characters.
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4. Let your child see you enjoying fruit.
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5. Make fruit eating a family routine.
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6. Try adding fruit into things your child likes to eat.
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7. Add fresh fruit juice to mocktails, lemonade, coconut water to make fresh sippy beverages
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8. Try adding dehydrated fruit chunks in trail mixes, porridges and granola bars
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If all the tricks above don’t work, stop pushing your child to eat fruit. As we mentioned above, it is a phase that can be worked through. Until then here are some substitutes to fruit you can try to ensure your child is getting necessary nutrients.
Electrolytes – like sodium, potassium, chlorine, fluorine help maintain a healthy water balance in the body. They are essential for healthy blood flow, glowing skin, sharp eyes, strong nails and lustrous hair. A good substitute to fruit is coconut water or lemonade.
Antioxidants – like vitamins A, B complex, C, B12 along with minerals like silicon, manganese, copper are excellent antioxidants. They help rid the body of toxins, keep acid levels down, and boost immunity. Make sure your child is eating plenty of bright coloured veggies like carrots, tomato, beetroot, squash, and green leafy veggies.
Fruit sugar – or fructose is a slow release sugar that keeps your child energetic for two hours after eating fruit. Substitute dry fruits to help your child along. Try dates, dry figs, dry apricot, dried berries, and raisins.
Fibre – fruit fibre is soluble in nature. It helps absorb excess water from the gut, form soft stools and maintians healthy digestion. A good fibre source other than fruit is from a healthy meal of vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and sprouts.
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Parul Gupta
Janani S Koushik
KSP Team
