For Parents

Including plenty of colourful vegetables and fruit in your children’s day helps set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating.


Fruit and vegetables not only give your children the energy, vitamins and minerals they need to grow and develop, they also help protect against chronic diseases.

Ministry of Health guidelines recommend that:

• Children aged 2-5 should have at least 2 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each day
• Children aged over 5 should have at least 3 servings of vegetables and 2 of fruit each day

A serving is about a handful. Therefore a child’s serving will be smaller than an adult’s.
 

Tips to help tamariki enjoy 5+ A Day fruit and vegetables

• Set a good example – often children will eat what you are eating
• Cut up fruit and vegetables into manageable sizes for little hands
• Offer a variety of colours and textures (cooked and uncooked)
• Keep trying – often it takes up to 12 times for a child to accept a new food
• Involve your child in food preparation including grocery shopping
• Offer fruit and vegetables as snacks, including in school lunchboxes