Help your kids learn to love their veggies

Nina Vanderwiel, a Crystal Lake mom of three, knows firsthand how hard it can be to “convince” kids to eat their fruits and veggies. So she came up with a fun, interactive class that is now offered at local park districts.

The class, “Fruits & Veggies To The Rescue!” taps into kids’ imaginations and love of superheroes to inspire them to love fruits and vegetables. The program is unique because it looks at fruits & veggies through the eyes of a child, making healthy eating fun and encouraging them to develop healthy eating habits for life.

“Like all moms, making sure my kids eat healthy is a priority, but getting them to eat fruits and veggies used to be a daily struggle,” Vanderwiel said. “Once I started talking in terms they understood, telling them how fruits and veggies are superheroes that fight off germs and colds, they learned to appreciate and love their veggies.”

Fruits & Veggies To The Rescue! Is a fun, interactive class for kids 4 to 6 years old. The class takes kids on an adventure every week tasting all kinds of fruits & veggies, playing fun interactive games and activities that use their imaginations. Kids even meet a farmer and learn about the fresh food they eat.

Barrington mom Jennifer Nelson Saracevic already sees a change in her daughter after taking the class.

“What I love about the class is that it introduces her to new veggies and encourages her to try things she otherwise wouldn’t. I love the fact that when I pick her up from class, she can’t wait to tell me about the new veggies she tried.”

The Fruits & Veggies To The Rescue! class is offered at The Barrington Park District on Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. To register call (847) 381-0687. It’s also offered at Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Woodstock and Crystal Lake park districts.

Call the park districts for more information or go to www.facebook.com/lovefruitsandveggies.

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