How to get your child to eat fruit!
Here are some ideas:
Try making fresh fruit ice lollies by blending fresh fruit and mixing with fruit juice or yoghurt and freezing in ice lolly moulds.
Watermelon Cooler
Blitz 300g watermelon, deseeded and cubed with about 60g of icing sugar and pour into ice lolly moulds.
Strawberry and Lychee Lolly
Puree the lychees and syrup with 150g hulled strawberries cut in half. Strain through a sieve and pour into ice lolly moulds.
Tropical Lolly
Blend the flesh of one large mango with 175ml Tropical fruit juice, 3 tbsp of icing sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
A Warming Crumble
In cold weather, serve hot fruity puddings like rhubarb and pear crumble. Other good fillings are Apple and Blackberry and Rhubarb and Strawberry, Apple, Pear and Raspberry. To make a good crumble topping, mix together 150g flour, a good pinch of salt and rub in 75g cold butter. When the mixture starts to stick together , add 85g demerera sugar, 25g oats and continue to rub in with your fingers . Finally rub in 50g ground almonds. Mix the fruit together with some sugar in an ovenproof dish, cover with the crumble topping and sprinkle over a little water. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the topping starts to turn golden.
Exotic Fruits
Introduce lots of variety, exotic fruits are more readily available in supermarkets so introduce your child to stoned lychees, passion fruit, mango, sharon fruit, pomegranate etc…
Fruit Jellies
You can make your own delicious fruit jellies using juices like Cranberry juice or diluted Elderflower Cordial and make up jellies using leaf gelatine which dissolves like a dream every time. Pour the jelly mixture into glasses filled with some fresh fruit. Berry fruits are good in jelly. Avoid using kiwi, papaya or pineapple all of which will stop the jelly from setting.
Tasty Muffins
Make tasty muffins using fruits like banana, apple or blueberry and get your child to help make them. Mini muffins are popular so it’s a good idea to buy a mini muffin tray and bake both large and small muffins.
A deliciously simple dessert
Put a selection of chopped fruit into a shallow ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of crushed amaretto biscuits. Cover with crème fraiche, sprinkle over some brown sugar and set aside in the fridge for about an hour. Place under a pre-heated grill for a few minutes until golden.
Berry Fruit Brulee
Put some fresh berries into some ramekin dishes or heatproof glass dishes. Lightly mix together some double cream until it forms soft peaks, Fold in some Greek yoghurt a little icing sugar to sweeten and a few drops of vanilla essence. Sprinkle over some brown sugar and cook under a preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and bubbling.
For more fruity desserts, take a look at the Fussy Eaters Recipe Book. – you can preview this book on my website.
