If getting your kids to eat a nutritious diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a challenge, turn mealtime into fun time. I asked some of my favorite food and nutrition bloggers to share their best tips and most playful recipes for enticing kids of all ages to eat healthy, and here’s what they served up:

{Guest Post}

Hi everyone! My name is Katy Patton and I am currently a nutrition graduate student at Boston University. I am interning with Liz this semester, and one of my first assignments was to gather clever tips for making good-for-you foods too fun, too cute, and too irresistible for kids—even the pickiest of eaters—to resist. Wait until you see what I came up with … with the help of some of the most clever food and nutrition bloggers on the web.

9 Easy Ways to Make Healthy Foods Fun for Kids to Eat

Amy from Super Healthy Kids

Amy’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Sweet and Savory Stoplights

“Whenever we try to share fun food for kids, we always get pushback from our readers with, ‘I don’t have time for that!!’ My best tip is to make it an activity and do it with your kids! Parents don’t need to spend loads of time hiding out in the kitchen making fun food when the kids are the ones who will enjoy it the most, and enjoy even more, the eating part. This Stoplights post is my favorite, ‘kids-can-make-it-themselves’ snack!'”

Sonali from The Foodie Physician

Sonali’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Pita Pizzas

“Try using familiar foods like pizza, pasta or meatballs as a canvass to introduce your children to new, nutritious ingredients. Make quick and easy pizzas by spreading tomato sauce on whole wheat pitas. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and then let your little chefs add their own toppings.”

Sally from Real Mom Nutrition

Sally’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Peanut Butter Breakfast Shake

“Smoothies are a perfect place to include dairy (or non-dairy, fortified milks), fruit, and even vegetables into your child’s day. Kids who may be unsure about cooked greens at dinnertime may love a sweet, bright green smoothie made with spinach or kale. A child who doesn’t like drinking milk at lunchtime may love a breakfast shake made with yogurt or milk. Just be sure your child knows what goes into their smoothie (no “sneaking” or “tricking” kids!) and enlist their help in putting everything in the blender and turning it on. A fun straw can also be a game-changer.”

 Danielle from Food Confidence

Danielle’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Collard Wraps with Homemade Hummus

“Get the kiddos involved in making their own food. My 7 year-old daughter loves to make her own collard wraps because she gets to eat them with her hands!”

Jill from Just the Right Byte

Jill’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Gorp

“I believe any time you can create a Do It Yourself (DIY) component to meals and snacks—such as a Dinner or Snack Bar or allowing your child to help measure out ingredients or mix them together—you automatically increase the odds for healthy eating and enjoyment.”

Suzanne from Cherry Creek Nutrition

Suzanne’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Peanut Butter Fruit Flowers

“Once my kids were old enough to use a blunt or plastic knife, they loved making their own concoctions. I always did smiley faces but my daughters come up with other ideas like the fruit flowers. I put out blueberries, banana slices, strawberries or raspberries, apple slices, peanut butter, cinnamon and sometimes granola to drizzle on top (which is awesome on the apple).”

Photo: Hollan Publishing

Toby, national nutrition expert from Toby Amidor Nutrition

Toby’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Pancakes The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

“My kids love getting down and dirty in the kitchen. One of their favorite tasks for all my kids (ages 12, 9 and 7) is to flip pancakes. They also love cutting the banana into bite-size pieces and dropping them onto the pancakes while they cook. My kids then set the table and we all enjoy a family-style breakfast while chatting about our cooking experience together.”

 Katie from Healthy Bites {Nourish.Breathe.Thrive}

Katie’s FUN FOOD Tip and her recipe for  Blueberry-Cashew Skillet Cake

“When it comes to making healthy food fun for kids it is only natural that I reference my experiences with my 3½ year old son. In our house we do not label foods healthy and unhealthy as I have found that fostering a love for all food is the most beneficial foundation for a healthy eater. We make food fun by spending time in the kitchen together be it cooking or simply smelling spices and herbs. We play a game called Master Chef where I blindfold Hudson and he tries to guess the food I put in his mouth through smell, taste and texture. This is separate to mealtime so there is not pressure. I also like to use simple foods like vegetables as a vehicle to stimulate his imagination. For example, I give him a bowl of vegetables and allow him to ‘play with his food.’ I ask him to create a forest or landscape using the vegetables and he has fun being artistic all the while munching on good-for-him foods.”

Liz’s Healthy Table

My FUN FOOD Tip and recipe for Peanut Butter Smiley Faces

“Let your kids get messy and play with their food. Something as simple as spreading peanut butter or another nut butter on a whole wheat English muffin and then creating a smiley face or another decoration with nutrient-rich sliced bananas, oranges, and berries can entice even the pickiest eaters to try new foods!”

What are your best FUN FOOD Tips for kids???