Monday, April 11, 2011

Fruits and Veggies and $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Tropicana.



Pledge to squeeze more fruits and veggies into your day & Tropicana will help kids in need. Tropicana will donate one 8-oz glass of orange juice to the USDA School Breakfast and Summer Food Service programs, up to 184,375 8-oz glasses. Please pledge by going to http://bit.ly/gAU7Eq . Promo will end 12/31/11.



"Can I have a treat?"
"Can I have a piece of candy?"
"Can I have a cookie?"
"Can I have something to eat that will give me lots of cavities and make my blood sugar level sky rocket?"

These are some of the repeater questions I loath. It seems they frequent the halls of this home on a regular basis. What to do with all of these treat hounds around here? 



Slice it up nice....


Serve it up twice, or thrice (is that a word?)


Fresh fruits and vegetables. That's what I'm talking about! We like treats around here, it's no secret. But having fresh fruits and veggies around the house at all times makes me feel a lot better about the nutrition of my kidlets. I offer fruit and veggies a lot...a real lot....and  am  finding my kids are developing a love for them. Few. What a relief. 

I don't try and sneak artichokes into cookies dough...
I don't blend up spinach with chocolate sauce and pour it over ice cream.
I don't pour tomato juice over the top of rice crispy treats.

I just chop up carrots sticks for their lunch, and bring apples to the park, and steam up frozen peas with dinner, and slice up oranges after school.

You know. We try and eat the good for you stuff. I offer it. Serve it. Place it in front of their cute faces. 
Then after the carrot sticks we have a cookie. I can not tell a lie.

How about you? 


To enter the to win the $100 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer leave me a comment below telling me how you serve up fruits and veggies to your kids. Please, pretty please.... leave your email address in your comment. This giveaway will run from April 11th-May 9th.

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.


d) For those with no Twitter or blog, Visit the Official Rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.


This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
 

For other opportunities to win click here.
 




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 I wrote this post while participating in the Tropicana Pure Premium/BlogHer program on behalf of Tropicana Pure Premium. I received product information to facilitate my post and monetary compensation for the time to write my post.

235 comments:

  1. Smoothies....you can put anything in those and they are good!

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  2. Straight up with maybe a little salt and pepper seasoning. Thanks!

    Chris M.

    zekks at yahoo dot com

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  3. Considering my only little girl is only 8 months old, she gets her fruit pureed. I mash them up in her KidCO and poor them in freezer trays, and once frozen they go in labeled freezer bags for later use!!

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  4. I make a fruit/veggie combo smoothie for my kids after school snack. They love it. No crashing! They are energized to get through homework and no one is begging for sugary snacks befre dinner.

    Kelly

    kellyloupreece@hotmail.com

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  5. Fruit Salad - Diced fruit tossed with a touch of lemon juice & vanilla yogurt! Freeze dried fruit is a huge hit around here - I wish it was more available in stores!!

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  6. I don't have too much of a problem with my children liking veggies. I serve two at each meal, I mean lunch and dinner. Veggies and dip, stir fry, salads, and steamed with cheese sauce. I can't keep fruit in the house, we all love it so much! I do a lot of canning and freezing thru the year and at this time of the year I am trying to use up all that I canned last year. So we use at least three or four quarts a day. Love your site, beautiful pictures and yummy recipes! kslaurie58@yahoo.com

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  7. My kids love broccoli with parm cheese sprinkled on the top.

    katiemur@gmail.com

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  8. Blog Posted!

    http://thetyethatbinds.blogspot.com/2011/04/fruits-and-veggies-and-100-visa-gift.html

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  9. Freeze them! My kids love to snack on frozen peas and frozen blueberries!

    Karen.Melander@gmail.com

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  10. The "Then after the carrot sticks we have a cookie." made me LOL.

    I have a 7 year old that detests fruits and veggies but I can always get him to snack on apple slices with peanut butter...why only that? I have no idea. I think it has to do with some magical spell his kindergarten teacher put on him one day when they were having snack. Whatever the reason I'm happy to get him to at least eat that! My 3 yr old however will eat just about any fruit or veggie stuck in front of him...raw, cooked, with a side of dip... but I think his favorite, and most fun, are fruit kabobs.

    mama_mint64(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. My kids love fruit salad! They also enjoy smoothies. Veggies are a little harder for them to like, but luckily my older son likes broccoli.

    mami2jcn at gmail dot com

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  12. tweet:

    http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/57430981673623552

    mami2jcn at gmail dot com

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  13. I'm a simple just fruits and veggies kind of girl too! I think just starting them out that way has helped a lot, they think it's the norm! :)
    vandango33 at gmail dot com

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  14. They love fruit and or veggie kabobs--fun presentation makes all the difference.

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  15. I puree carrots and put them in spaghetti sauce along with spinach. My kids are none the wiser! My 3 year old won't eat any raw fruits or vegis no matter how many times I offer so anytime I can sneak in food I do. Although I continue to offer the good stuff hoping one day she will choose to eat them :)
    Paralee

    parie_johnson@hotmail.com

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  16. We also slice them up and serve. Sometimes will try and sneak some grated zucchini or squash into our spaghetti sauce. So far the kids haven't noticed.

    skigreeny@hotmail.com

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  17. My child is too young to eat table foods but I used to make zucchini bread or carrot bread for my younger sisters so they would eat some veggies. Works like a charm.

    lovemesomedots10 at hotmail dot com

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  18. my daughter loves to dip her carrots and celery in humus. it makes a great snack!

    erynlee7905@verizon.net

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  19. Smoothies is the way we get a lot of fruits in and fresh veggies with dip also!

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  20. I add alot of fresh veggies hidden in Chili


    http://larkscountryheart.blogspot.com/

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  21. Fondue gets my kids to eat fruits and veggies because anything dipped in cheese or chocolate can't be bad, right?

    sweetkristiehill@gmail.com

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  22. I always have a bowl of grapes, a bag of apples, and a bag of carrots in the fridge that the kids can go and help themselves to at anytime without asking. It's helping them to automatically think of fruits and veggies when they're hungry.

    amydrorbaugh@gmail.com

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  23. I started my kids just eating veggies when they first started solid foods. I put through all those before I ever even gave them anything sweet. And although there are some veggies they don't leave (but I have the same problem) they are always willing to try them. But, the best thing to get them to eat them is eating them myself. If I'm having a snack, they want what I'm having. We do fun things like dipping in peanut butter, sprinkling cinnamon, cutting them up and playing with them first. But, really, it isn't a problem because it's what I have always given them, and what I eat myself.

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  24. I have a rule at my house that the kids have to have a fruit or veggie as a snack before they have anything else. It seems too work. They usually go for the fruits more than the veggies, but its a start.

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  25. Smoothies are the easiest, I add spinach and they don't even know. I also like to add some steamed veggies to our dinners. I can also hide a lot in homemade spaghetti sauce.

    julie.butterfield10@gmail.com

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  26. Luckily, my kids do a great job eating fruits and veggies... I serve them up with every meal. They love bananas, grapes, apples oranges, carrots, and broccoli best!

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  27. Well I have to admit, it is really hard. I have a two year old that is very picky. I have yet to get him to eat may veggies. But he loves fruit. So he will eat those without any tricks. He also love avacodos.

    beckydoraz@yahoo.com

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  28. I blogged about it, here is the link:
    http://turnerfam-cbd.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-found-blog-i-love.html

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  29. We like to eat about any fruit or vegetable, but we especially love frozen bananas. Peel them, insert a popsicle stick, freeze them and you've got a delicious healthy banana-pop!

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  30. I have been able to get my kids to eat their veggies by making lots of homemade soup!

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  31. My kids are crazy about fruits. Frozen grapes are so nice in the summer time.

    linnalou381@msn.com

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  32. My family love soups with lots of different veggies! tracietrump@yahoo.com

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  33. I chop up veggies very small for soups. And ranch dip is so fun to dip all veggies into. We make a lot of fruit smoothies, you can put anything in those. Put a little Umbrella on top and they will think its cool.

    My email is e717ml@gmail.com

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  34. I think that repitition has helped my kids like fruits and veggies. It helps to see their mom and dad eat them too.

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  36. I give my kids fruit in smoothies. They also think freeze dried fruit is wonderful. I put vegies in soups. And I serve fruit and veggies fresh for a snack or with meals.
    ap4amy@gmail.com

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  37. great ideas from everyone! love smoothies and so do my girls. Fruits are easy and always available. The hardest is getting them to eat veggies. Luckily they love carrots and I always keep a bag around, but if it's green they stay far far away. I have to dice things really small and hide them sometimes. presentation helps. emilyhattaway@gmail.com

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  38. I think if you start young and introduce them to whatever you yourself are eating it makes them think it's pretty neat to be like mom or dad and they will be much more adventurous!

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  39. Smoothies or ants on a log (carrots, PB, raisins) go over well and my littlest loves to dip anything. But mostly I just try to make fruits and veggies very easy access. Thanks!
    shakenafist at yahoo dot com

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  41. My kids love smoothies for breakfast, they just seem to naturally like fruit but I let them add the spinach so they know it's in there. Also, for vegetables at dinner it just takes repetition. I may have served asparagus 15 times before my kids would take more than 1 bite, if any. They also have a dry erase food chart that they keep track of how many fruits and veggies they eat daily on.

    panders04@yahoo.com

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  42. My boys love broccoli - so we eat a lot of broccoli at our house. If I don't put it in their mac and cheese they ask me where it is! They also love to have a smoothie with dad for breakfast....

    tamwallis@gmail.com

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  43. We make lots of smoothies. Also, before anyone is reaching for seconds on meat or sides at dinner, he needs to make sure he ate his salad. We always have carrots and celery and apples - for mid morning snacks. maya@siberiangrinder.com

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  44. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  45. My kids love any kind of fruit and my son likes to eat frozen peas that are still frozen, kind of weird but Im not complaining.

    emilou84037 at yahoo dot com

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  46. I don't have any kiddos at home - just the grands coming over. what I did with my kids and now with the grands, we play tic tac toe or bingo with veggies sticks. we have to eat some every once in a while like we are sneaking and having me catch them. we laugh alot, they get some good stuff, afterwards we have chocolate! LOL..... good memories! or is it the veggies that makes have the memories! LOL.....

    Lorene

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  47. Just the other day I asked my 6 year old to stop growing so fast. She quickly replied with an "I'll try, I'll stop eating my veggies and drinking my milk." Not really the direction I was heading. It's a good thing she generally likes her veggies. Our rule is you just have to eat one. Whenever I try to force it, it's a battle and the result is never what I hope for. ruthannchar at hotmail dot com

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  48. I give my kids healthy snacks on little tea party sized plates, etc! It makes it fun! I usually let them dip their fruit in yogurt and veggies in a ranch dip! :)

    braylieshotmama(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  49. Sliced up apples with a little bit of brown sugar and vanilla yogurt or berries with yogurt and granola.

    kjbrill@verizon.net

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  50. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  51. I have 2 kids who love their fruit and veggies! My older one loves just eating them without anything and will just gobble it down until he has had enough. We live in the south and fruit season is here and our extra daily fruit a day has already started. I have a 6 month old and has fruit at luch time and his veggies at dinner time. At every dinner time we have at least one veggie to try to have a balance meal.


    fam.mathews@gmail.com

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  52. Looks like a popular answer, but I love to give my little 22 month old green smoothies! As long as I put it in a colored cup with a straw, she never bothers to look inside. She just happily sucks away at the juice I am giving her. :)

    alysabishop{at}myfamily{dot}com

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  53. I like making zucchini bread, banana bread and carrot bread. Smoothies are another goody. And I hide them in meatloaf!

    kgallo@uvm.edu

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  54. Just to mix things up a bit, I will sometimes have a cold plate of stuff for them to eat. I use the divided serving dishes that go to potlucks...I'll fill the sections with carrots, celery with peanut butter, olives, orange slices, cheese cubes..whatever I have on hand. They loved the finger food days. Could add a dip for fruit, or ranch for veggies..etc.
    freeindeed at myfairpoint dot net

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  55. we have no problems getting fruit eaten at our house... but veggies are a different story. :) if it looks like a pickle, smells like a pickle, or can be made into a pickle, it will be eaten. also, if it can be dipped in ranch, it will be eaten.

    i just found some pasta the other day that is veggie pasta (full serving of veggies in each serving of pasta), that tastes great!

    kmc.love @ gmail.com

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  56. I think a key to having my kids eat there veggies is having them convienent. I alway try to have our family's favorite vegetable dill dip in the fridge with a fresh bag of cut up carrots, broccoli, and celery. So yummy to snack on.

    sundeeyardley@q.com

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  57. The easiest solution I've come up with is to serve fresh Veggies before you serve the dinner main course. So while you are finishing up dinner they can "snack" all they want on the veggies first while they are the most hungry. If they fill up on them it's not a problem because at least you got some fresh vegetables into them.
    whitneymwall at Gmail

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  58. I like to throw a plate of veggies or fruit out on the table while the kids are waiting for me to finish making dinner- that way they are eating something nutritious AND not bothering me with "when will dinner be ready?!"

    meganzolman@yahoo.com

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  59. I also like to put together a fruit/veggie plate to snack on while watching TV or an after school snack. We make fruit smoothies too. Yum!

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  60. I don't have kids yet, but I will make fun snacks that they will want to eat... like making shapes out of food and/or putting messages on their food in their lunches.

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  61. juicer ... put both fruits AND veggies in the juicer and voila! cambric_starfishATyahooDOTcom

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  62. Luckily the kids love fruit and most veggies, so we just serve them up. I do grate zucchini during the season and put it in EVERYTHING and nobody seems to notice, but other than that we are straight forward with our healthy foods.
    moberle@ymail.com

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  63. I offer them the real thing-can't fool my DD by trying to sneak them into something new. She's slowly learning to try new things becuase hey, they might actually be good!

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  64. I just make sure I have a large variety - my kids all like some fruit or veggie. One of them likes them all! And we try new things - my kids are adventurous.

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  65. I am afraid prepping fruits and veggies take more time that ripping open a bag of chips or a box of cookies. That's the trick, simple, I just have to take the time to do it!
    abbottfamily@yahoo.com

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  66. My kids love fruits and veggies, so I am lucky that way. However, for some of the veggies that they don't love as much, if I give them a little bit of ranch to dip it into they eat the whole thing. It's great!
    beckilwells@gmail.com

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  67. Frozen blueberries! They love them. They also like smoothies too! robertjenny @ comcast.net

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  68. My son would eat nothing BUT fruit if I let him, and veggies are high on his list, too. I am truly blessed!

    cheryl[at]winterfyre[dot]com

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  69. I mostly serve fruits and veggies raw as a snack, and I'll steam some veggies with dinner. My kids love smoothies as well, I just use frozen fruit and add some milk in the blender till it's the consistency I want and the kids love it.
    traci.swertfeger@gmail.com

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  70. I offer fruit as a snack and put it in smoothies.
    kathy f
    mknkids at yahoo dot com

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  71. I make a fruit dip with cream cheese, marshmallow creme and frozen orange juice. My daughter eats more fruit in one day when I make that than she eats in a whole week otherwise! I have to admit, it is very delicious :)

    jdcarnavale@gmail.com

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  72. smoothies smoothies smoothies! i tell my son i made it green to match his favorite spoon... not sure he'd go for the real reason that it contains more spinach than enough salad to feed a dozen! i have a friend who puts puree-ed butternut squash in almost everything without her kids noticing (mac and cheese, spaghetti, pizza sauce, even pancakes!)

    allikrewson1@yahoo.com

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  73. ill simply say this about fresh fruits and veggies: if i buy them, they will come..... or i guess i mean they will be eatin'. :-D
    toungealker4jesus@sbcglobal.net

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  74. im sorry, i gave the wrong email, its toungetalker4jesus@sbcglobal.net

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  75. I try to have cut fruit and veggies ready to go. And -- like you said -- offer, offer, offer. But I don't force them. Since I myself eat almost no veggies or fruit (no, I'm not kidding) I would feel hypocritical. I'm hoping my boys end up taking after Daddy as far as that goes.

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  76. If you don't buy it, they won't have it (atleast at home)! =) We buy lots of fruits and veggies and my kids know that is what is for "snack".

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  77. My kids eat and like lots of fruit and veggies. We like to eat them plain or in smoothies usually:)

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  78. I load veggies onto pizzas, nobody minds them then :)
    kmurkve at gmail dot com

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  79. Well, I don't have any kids, but I have to trick my husband into eating his veggies. So, I usually do it by putting them in with pasta (spinach wilts so well and he has no clue) or making a casserole. If I add a little cheese to the top he's usually good!

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  80. Several different ways...raw carrot sticks, apples, oranges, grapes, steamed broccoli, asparagus. Honestly, I think I'm just lucky to have kids that actually love eating these as a treat. I never liked broccoli as a kid, so I can't imagine how that happened. beebefox@hotmail.com

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  81. My kids really like orange slices, but we slice them and quarter them so we don't have to shove the slices up against our cheeks to get at that yummy orange!
    Cyndi@bateshome.com

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  82. Smooooothies!!! and I love strawberry shortcakes too!

    follourheartblog@gmail.com

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  83. My kids are actually really good about eating fruit if I cut it up. Now veggies are a different matter, but they love eating fruit.
    suzieslade@gmail.com

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  84. I'm very lucky that my family loves fruits and fresh veggies, so we eat a lot of them as is.
    But I try to sneak in extra servings in things like pancakes (apples, sweet potaotes and bananas are favs!) or swirled into oatmeal & hot cereals. We also love adding veggie purees to things like pizzas, in mac n'cheese, stir fry's, dips for snacks, and soup broths!
    A new trick is to use a mix of fruits and veggies as a stuffing for won tons, with apple sauce for dipping, a total hit even with the strictly carnavore set =)

    tonictease@yahoo.com

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  85. I am a purist. I just cut up fresh fruit and let them go to town. :)

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  86. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  87. Also tweeted it here: http://twitter.com/#!/jamhandsblog/status/57608182796783616


    Forgot to add my email before: jamhandsblog@gmail.com

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  88. My kids eat fruits and veggies (and lots of other stuff too...) because I eat fruits and veggies! They are offered at every meal, and I usually build the meal plan around what is seasonal and fresh. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen! They eat what I eat because I am their mom; a love for produce is what I model to them! They are mostly grown now, and they love to tell me that I have RUINED them for food that isn't fresh and homemade - thank goodness for that!!! (Hence our blog: LikeMotherLikeDaughters.com It's all in the family!) @UrMomCooks urmomcooks@austin.rr.com
    Thnx for the opportunity!

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  89. No kids yet. But I'm one Awesome Auntie! I love buying produce at Costco and I try to make sure they get fruits and veggies for every meal I serve. I'm an adult and a little more set in my ways(I don't much care for veggies) but I really like V8 Fusion with a full serving of Fruits and a full serving of Veggies in every glass!

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  90. We love our veggies with hummus!
    aubreyfick@yahoo.com

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  91. Apples are more fun if they talk and are happily dipped in to peanut butter. One broccoli can't be eaten without the others' wanting to go to the party in her (my 3 yr old) tummy. (wink) Incorporating pretend play in to eating is a regular thing around here and it works like a charm.
    jcnoorda{at}gmail{dot}com

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  92. With some kind of dipping sauce, yogurt or pb is a popular choice with fruits!

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  93. I try and let my niece see how much I'm enjoying fruits and veggies. She's more inclined to eat something if Aunt Susie is loving it! :)

    susanaudrey33 at gmail dot com

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  94. I offer nothing else for snack. They can have an apple or a couple carrot sticks. Once in a while with pb or ranch. No cookies or cake or other stuff. in fact, I try not to have the other stuff in the house. Besides the kids sniffing it out, then everyone goes away and leaves it home with me nibbling away at my resolve.

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  95. For the most part they eat the veggies and fruit I gave them. Once in awhile they eat everything else but the veggie. Lately every morning when I ask my little guy what sounds good for breakfast he says " candy!". He never gets it but he still asks every am.

    Joyful5432@yahoo.com

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  96. I love to add bananas and other fruits to their waffles like mini waffle sandwiches
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  97. tweet
    http://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/57670850345836544
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  98. Green smoothies! Kids love them! lauwil07 at gmail dot com

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  99. My kid ADORES veggies. I've never had a problem feeding him any fruit OR veg. That said, there is always cut up fruit and veggies in the fridge,and we start almost every meal with salad or a relish tray - our preferred dessert (if offered) is fruit,sometimes accompanied by a small amount of ice cream or a mini cupcake or cookie, but the fruit is the star!
    I actually did a doubletake a week or so ago. I opened my mouth, said "Beck, you can NOT have any more salad until you eat at least one more chicken strip" (homemade, ovenfried with parm and panko) I wondered how many 5 year olds had had that said to them!
    BTW - his response was "there's protein in the cheese on the salad, Neenie!"

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  101. My kids are too old for me to push food of any kind, on them. :/ However, they do love fruit so that is not a problem!

    pass me not by at inbox dot com

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  102. Our kids love fruits and would eat them all day if I let them. Our 4-year old will eat most cooked veggies with dinner. Our 2-year old won't touch most of them. We just keep offering and hoping that one day he'll decide to eat them. Neither of them will eat carrots or celery unless they are in chicken noodle soup. But then they tell me they love carrots and celery.

    admangalovan@gmail.com

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  103. Smoothies! The whole family loves them for breakfast or a snack!

    allison at applepieorder dot org

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  104. Fruit smoothies, and fresh veggies with hummus. So yummy! alaineann at gmail dot com
    http://dashofperspective-alaine.blogspot.com/

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  105. Either fresh sliced fruit or fruit smoothies are always a good snack in my house!
    samantha726 @ gmail (dot) com

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  106. We LOVE fruits and veggies around here, but when I find that we have been eating too many treats I start finding ways to make the healthy stuff more fun to eat... Make a butterfly out of apples and carrots, ants on a log, contests to see who can make the longest veggie train then eat it, or having some dipping sauce. If you think about it we all love the experience of eating so if the experience is fun even if you don't like the food as much you will rave about it later....

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  107. My tip to get them eaten is to have them always available and out for the taking. If I cut an apple and put it on the counter it will be gone in minutes.

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  108. I do sneak alot of veggies in spaghetti sauce and they don't mind. But mainly I do smoothies for breakfast and have lots of cut up veggies and fruit in the fridge for snack time. thesteady5@gmail.com

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  109. Fruits & Veggies have never been an issue at my house. I have always started them with frozen veggies when they have started eating solids. A few other things that I think have helped my kids to like fruits & veggies are:
    1.Having them easily accessble, a plate of fruit or vegetables on the table for them to grab as they walk by.
    2. Try new things-branch out a little bit from oranges, apples and grapes. My kids all love fresh mangoes, papayas, berries, celery, asparagus.
    3. Don't assume they won't like it.
    4. Let them help with the produce shopping. My kids love it when they find something new for us to try.

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  110. Blogged it http://crazytwinmama.blogspot.com/2011/04/100-visa-giveaway-and-awesome-recipe.html

    my email address is crazytwinmama@gmail.com

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  111. It's trying to get my husband to eat veggies that is a chore, so I make smoothies with fruit and kale or spinach. mistie@nationwide-sales.com

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  112. i put the veggies in mac n cheese and i make smoothies for fruits or just cut them up.
    tcogbill at live dot com

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  113. Hide the veggies by adding to food they already love. My kids like fruits & vegetables, however they LOVE pasta. To increase their vegetable intake, I add vegetables like broccoli to their pasta and serve a salad with dinner. My girls love salad!

    gab UNDERSCORE lyn AT msn DOT com

    @Naya2000 on Twitter

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  114. My winning tweet! {I hope!}

    @Naya2000

    gab UNDERSCORE lyn AT msn DOT com

    http://twitter.com/#!/Naya2000/status/57960260689866752

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  115. Potstickers are my new secret weapon. Stuffed to gills with bok choy!

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  116. We started subscribing to a CSA and that does a lot to help us eat more veggies. My wife is awesome about adding them to practically every dish without ruining the dish (or the veggies). Kale chips are great snack!

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  117. I love when clementines are in season, because they are so sweet and small just one is a great snack!

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  118. We love smoothies! Sometimes we have all fruit smoothies, and sometimes green smoothies--both are great, but I especially like including some greens in them. Green salads are also popular with my kids--our favorite includes fresh and dried fruit with a light homemade dressing, but we enjoy all kinds of salads. We also have 2 plots at a community garden, and it's always fun to eat what you grow!

    theburns.fam@verizon.net

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  119. I slice up a ton of veggies in sandwich bags and keep them in a container in the fridge (which we call the veggie box). The kids eat so much better when the veggies are sliced and ready to go. clementsmeridee@aol.com

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  120. i am a puree-er. i offer the fruits and veggies with every meal, but my little guys are tough! :/ its been a real struggle. I do add a lot of veggies to a sauce puree for english muffin pizzas and ive made a beet and chocolate cake recipe before....Im hoping once they get a little older they will get better about their fruits and veggies. My oldest loves smoothies---so thats a good way to get in fruits :)
    thanks for the giveaway..i love your sites!!
    *kelly
    kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com

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  121. Apples with peanut butter! My kids LOVE it!!

    hmudy010(at)gmail.(com)

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  122. i put both veggies and fruits in muffins and smoothies scg00387 at yahoo dot com

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  123. http://twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/58001573762170880 scg00387 at yahoo dot com

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  124. We love smoothies, so I put all veggies and fruit in, kids love it too much to care what’s in there. This trick works great with my picky eaters.

    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

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  125. tweet.http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/58038029310377984
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

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  126. Ditto on the smoothies.. I also sneak spinach into brownies... lisaflinders@yahoo.com

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  127. I slip them in casseroles. My boys never know and it is a sure fire way of getting them to eat healthier.
    southcarolinamommy@gmail.com

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  128. http://twitter.com/#!/SCMOMOF2BOYS/status/58071709063979008

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  129. Well, I don't have kids, but I like eating fruits and veggies any way I can get them. The least obvious way is in deliciously sweet avocado pound cake...

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  130. I try to have fruits on hand to give to my daughter after she gets home from school. She loves fruit and yogart together.

    sharidandillon@yahoo.com

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  131. I make my kids smoothies every morning. They think they are fruity and yummy, but I usually sneak some veggies in them too!

    mmburdette22 AT yahoo DOT com

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  132. Right now my only child is just shy of nine months. So she gets fruits and veggies chopped up and pureed and about as plain as they come. :) But to encourage my hubby and I to eat veggies, I chop 'em up or shred them and put them in anything I can think of. We eat lettuce and spinach on sandwiches, celery on tuna melts {that's some yummy stuff, right there}, any kind of veggies in any red sauce pasta dish, etc. If I chop it or shred it fine enough, you can hardly tell anything is there. It works for us.

    musicalmaestro {at} gmail {dot} com

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  133. No kids, so here is what I do for myself. Protein shakes every morning with orange juice, fresh fruit or veggies, protein powder, and ice. Sometimes I'll throw in a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Yummy.

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  134. We enjoy smoothies. amandaosanford@yahoo.com

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  135. I make a lot of soups for the veggies. The fruit is easy-I just leave it out on the counter and it disappears. It helps that they don't have to ask for fruit but sweets are another story.

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  136. I also tweeted about this promotion.

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  137. http://twitter.com/mysweetcarolina/status/58266383062020096

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  138. I serve it by cutting it in small pieces so it's easy to pick up and they snatch it up!

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  139. I'm like you. Serve it up and watch them eat it. Or not. I really never made a big deal of it. They eat pretty much everything.

    I do use V-8 when I make chili and stuff that usually calls for tomato sauce. Cookies!

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  140. I tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/#!/tammigirl/status/58291134870470657

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  141. I serve them straight up. My daughter loves fruit and would chose that over almost anything. We are still working on the veggies.

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  142. I serve a fruit or veggie at every meal and it is expected that it will be eaten. I have found being straight forward works better than trying to sneak it in.

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  143. Cut fruits & veggies in pieces and serve it at snack time with a yogurt-based dip.
    janmessali (at) gmail.com

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  144. I keep fresh fruits, yogurt and vegetables around the house for snacking. I serve vegetables with meals in cassaroles and on the side. My children aren't crazy about vegetables so it can be a challenge.

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

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  145. http://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/58529068261457920

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

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  146. I'm blessed to have great eaters in my family. We eat lots of steamed veggies and fresh fruits. Nothing better!
    jamienewman79 at gmail dot com

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  147. My daughter loves fruits and vegetables. So as long as I buy them, she'll eat them.
    MCantu1019 at aol dot com

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  148. My son is super picky. And I hear that question all day every day 'Can I have a treat?' Luckily he does like apples and bananas. Apples-sliced and every now and then he likes to have the whole apple to himself. :)
    Now my daughter on the other hand will eat anything! As long as I have any type of fruit lying around she'll eat it. Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, apples, you name it...she'll eat it. :)
    We like smoothies and Fruit Pizza for a little change.
    sheena_perron(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  149. I keep myself healthy by eating well, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep and swimming 3 times a week.
    Thanks for the contest.
    slehan at juno dot com

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  150. blogged http://slehan.blogspot.com/2011/04/win-100-from-blogher-and-tropicana-part.html
    slehan at juno dot com

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  151. Keeping cut up broccoli, cauliflower, and mini carrots with something to dip them in, hummus or ranch or yogurt dressing, is one way to get them to snack on vegetables instead of junk food. Keeping fruit available to snack on and not having as much junk food in the house helps, too.
    LPoser1 [AT] gmail [DOT] com

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  152. She gets fruit instead of chips in her lunchbox and we traded smoothies for milkshakes!

    bscotchkisses at aol dot com

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  153. My oldest get protien smoothies before school and he always requests mangos and pineapples. When making fast weekly dinners, I usually serve up raw carrots and celery with dip instead of cooking a side dish. Dessert for my two toddlers usually consist of sliced bannanas or apples with yogurt.

    mascaramania at gmail dot com

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  154. I'm lucky that my family enjoys veggies and fruit. We eat lots of salads, and have fruit for dessert often, and veggies as snacks.

    libneas[at]aol[dot]com

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  155. We make smoothies and add veggies to pasta sauce.

    oldnavyash@aol.com

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  156. Tweeted http://twitter.com/smash906/status/60480732568621056

    oldnavyash@aol.com

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  157. I put veggies in salads and fruit in Smoothie.
    merleandtina@yahoo.com

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  158. http://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/60536343092142080
    merleandtina@yahoo.com

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  159. No kids - but I love fruits and most veggies. And I make veggies interesting - like Parmesan roasted asparagus and gingered carrots
    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

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  160. Tweet! http://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/60911629885374464
    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

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  161. My daughter always loved fruits - she thought it was dessert! :) As for veggies, I didn't push her to eat ones she didn't like, I just served the ones she enjoyed - mainly peas, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and some squash. Occasionally I sneak a few other veggies in the pasta sauce :)
    bingomamanorma(at)gmail(dot)com

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  162. I tweeted
    http://twitter.com/#!/The_Sunshyn/status/61102526119948288
    chainmail (at) iwon(dot) com

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  163. My son is a teenager, so I have very little influence over what he eats. If I make him a “healthy” meal, he just buys his own out! He loves orange juice though, so that wouldn’t be a problem!
    thanks!
    kmassmanATgmailDOTcom

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  164. I've found that smoothies are a wonderful way to "hide" all kinds of fruits and vegetables. I always include a banana, which seems to cover up the taste of any veggies I might have thrown in!
    sharonjo at gwtc dot net

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  165. Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/sharonjo2/status/61203272802910208
    sharonjo at gwtc dot net

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  166. My boys like anything they can dip. AND so we dip alot of fruits and vegetables, and have made some creative dips! They like spinach-artichoke dip, salsa dip, chocolate dip, cheese dip ~~ so I do not usually have to struggle to get them to eat good things.
    1prizewinner at gmail dot com

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  167. I sneak veggies in the casseroles that I make and the grandchildren love it :-)

    deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com

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  168. Smoothies!

    everydayvibrancy at gmail dot com

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  169. Tweet:
    http://twitter.com/#!/EverydayVibrant/status/61855369751822336

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  170. My daughter loves salads if she can fix hers all by herself. I allow her to make it according to her tastes and she gobbles it up!

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  171. All in my family enjoy eating fruits & vegetables. Fruits are great in snacks or breakfast. Vegetables are always nice at dinnertime, especially when cooked up tastily.
    PixelBerryPie@yahoo.com

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  172. We always had a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter for snacks, juice for drinks during all meals and no pop in the house. Worked great.

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

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  173. Tweeted here too

    http://twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/63018916431142913

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

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  174. I try to include a couple different kinds of vegetables every time I make a meal so I don't get bored of one certain kind and I get different nutrients.

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  175. My kids are teenagers now and they are pretty good about eating fruits and veggies and I always serve veggies with dinner too. When they were younger, I would sometimes cut up fruits and veggies and have some dips out in little bowls. I would then give the kids toothpicks to use and they loved eating the fruits and veggies this way.

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  176. I know a lot of people have said this already but I think smoothies are a great way to sneak fruits and veggies into the diet of your kids!
    reasek at gmail dot com.

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  177. We love fruits and vegetables in our family so there isn't a problem incorporating them into our daily diet. Preparing vegies in various ways prevents them from getting "boring"
    wbailey113 at hotmail dot com

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  178. http://twitter.com/myfolly/status/63944437209894912
    wbailey113 at hotmail dot com

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  179. my oldest is 2. She loves fruit, so that isn't an issue, actually I really have to monitor the amount of fruit she eats. But as far as veggies go, it's a whole different story. I just keep serving her some every time we have them, at first it was a total waste of food, but now I can get her to take a bite every now and then. She really loved your glazed carrots, so I make those pretty often! I know if I keep serving them, eventually she will learn to love them the way I do.

    alisha.balukoff@gmail.com

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  180. My children are teens now, but I have always been lucky that they LOVE fruits and veggies. If I served green salad with a meal, they would eat extra salad every time. Always willing to try new stuff too. Now that we use Bountiful Baskets we get to try new stuff all the time.
    Kelly
    kowen@cableone.net

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  181. fruit isn't much of a problem with the kiddos. i roast all my veggies with olive oil, salt,and some cavender's seasoning. delish.
    sometimes the veggies are the first things my little boy is eating!

    sharabachman@gmail.com

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  182. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  183. If you cook veggies right, they don't have to be something everybody tries to gag down first! :) I like to cook them in the microwave (doesn't leech the nutrients out like boiling or steaming does) and season them with salt and pepper and other things. I serve them in stir fries, I cut up veggies (like broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc) and add them to our favorite pasta dishes, things like that! The more variety and color, the better!

    bolton.lindsay@gmail.com

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  184. I buy those bags of frozen veggies (corn, peas and carrots,etc) when their on sale and give them to the kids frozen - they love them and they are great finger food.

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  185. We make "Swish Kebabs" using fun, whimsical glass bead-decorated skewers that we made, loaded with chunks of fruit and/or veggies. The kids love dipping their "Magic Wands" into "Secret Potion" yogurts and sauces or sprinkling them with "Fairy Dust" spice mixes, or just munching them plain and fresh!

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  186. I am lucky - my son loves most veggies (and fruits, too). He particularly loves green beans but also raw red/green/yellow/orange peppers, and of course the requisite corn & peas. Not a fan of broccoli, but neither am I! cheryl [at] winterfyre [dot] com

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  187. We always had fruit and juices in the mornings and in the evening for dinner, always veggies but my kids are long gone now and have their own families to deal with. Thank god for non picky eaters!

    marybug2@yahoo.com

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  188. Tweeted too

    http://twitter.com/#!/marybug2/status/64109520393224192

    marybug2 @ yahoo . com

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  189. My kids love to try new things so I try and buy a different kind of fruit to try each week and if nothing looks good, I just try a new kind of apple. For veggies, I will saute different veggies until soft and then blend 'em up to throw in different sauces. My kids do love to dip anything in Ranch dressing too!

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  190. I will post about the giveaway on my blog too.

    lolly1422@yahoo.com

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  191. We have a garden and the kids are always excited to eat what they've helped grow.

    jvmwordsmith@comcast.net

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  192. Tweeted.

    http://twitter.com/#!/Jayne_Martin/status/64140292600770561

    jvmwordsmith@comcast.net

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  193. We eat a lot of salads. But grilling veggies is so easy and tasty.

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  194. My kids LOVE smoothies and I'm able to get both veggies and fruit at the same time.

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  195. I've been lucky I guess becasue my kids always ate fruits & veggies pretty well. They did like raw veggies better than cooked sometimes. Fruit smoothies were a favorite...oh and frozen grapes...loved those! And I always had orange juice available for them.
    cindi@azza.com

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  196. My 3 year old loves the big carrots so we nosh on those and pretend we are rabbits, we also garden and he gets excited to eat what he picks..

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  197. My kids get a lot of smoothies full of spinach, flax seed, apples, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, whatever sounds good. They drink it up like it's candy juice. I have one who loves veggies, no big deal for him but he wont touch berries unless in a smoothie. Another who just loves the goodness of the yummy smoothie, they really are good, I promise you can not taste the spinach or flax seed, sometimes carrots. They are good. mb4phillips@gmail.com

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  198. We eat a lot of smoothies with fruit and spinach. Also, Kids love to dip things, so as long as I have a veggie dip it makes it a lot easier.

    chelsea_hughes22@hotmail.com

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  199. I have them help make pizzas with lots of vegies

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  200. I give them plain as well but they also blend well into smoothies and muffins, it's no secret and the kids love it anyway.
    rmartinclarke @ gmail.com

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