A survey commissioned by Dole Food Company and Working Mother magazine has found that 56 per cent of mothers in the US characterise getting children to eat fruit and vegetables as 'not easy', 'a constant battle' or 'impossible', despite the fact that over two-thirds of parents buys fresh fruit every time they go food shopping.
Over half of mums interviewed said that repeated attempts are the best way to get children to eat fresh produce, while nearly the same amount (55 per cent) said that their children enjoyed fruits and vegetables, making it easy to serve them fresh produce.
The overwhelming majority of respondents said that their children enjoyed apples (90 per cent), bananas (87 per cent) and grapes (85 per cent), while corn (82 per cent) was the most popular vegetable choice, followed by carrots (77 per cent) and broccoli (69 per cent).
'For years, Dole has focused on helping parents improve their children's nutrition,' said Jennifer Grossman, senior vice-president of Dole's Nutrition Institute. 'These findings reinforce the fact that persistence, consistency, creativity and convenience are key to helping increase kids' fruit and vegetable intake.'
When asked about how their children's diet compares to that of their peers and friends, 35 per cent it was better while only 10 per cent said it was worse.
'Working moms tell us all the time they are looking for new and clever ways to get more fruit and vegetables into their day – from colour choices to fanciful plates of smiley faces,' said Helen Jonsen, editor of workingmother.com. 'As a mother of four, I face the same challenge at home but have learned it's worth the struggle when one of my children finally says 'can you make that eggplant again!' or 'mom, we're out of strawberries'.'
