If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli.

So we’ll have to get creative. Here are eight ideas to “sneak” some extra fibrous vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.

family enjoying eating vegetables
It’s hard enough getting yourself to eat more vegetables, let alone trying to get your kids on board. Most of the time, they just end up pushing them around their plate or worse, going on a vegetable strike.

Start the day with a breakfast smoothie

1. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go.

I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast.

Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day

2. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking.

You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal.

Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches

3. You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat.

Let them drink their fruits and vegetables

4. Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative.

You could start “family cocktail hour” by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody’s day went.

A healthy dessert

5. Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

6. Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes.

Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip.

And, of course there’s ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it. Fruit and vegetable in one snack!

Try some exotic fruits and vegetables

7. Pick something exotic to get your family’s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension to trying something new.

You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store.

Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat

8. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.

Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

bonus tip:

Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on!