Kids can be mighty fussy when it comes to what morsels of nourishment they’ll allow anywhere near their mouths. And it’s always up to the tired, haggard and sometimes desperate moms and dads to try figure out guerrilla tactics to ensure the daily dose of veggies or fruit hit their mark: your little one’s belly.

Here is a list of 10 ways to make healthy eating a whole lotta fun for your toddler:

1. Creative Juices: Let them flow. Make a crazy face out of pieces of fruit on your child’s plate or get them to help you come up with silly names for the food you’re preparing – see who can come up with the silliest (Spaghetti can be wriggly worms, Pretzels can be knotted twigs and raisins can be shy ants).

By distracting your little one you take the emphasis off of what they are eating and place the emphasis on the act of eating – carrots can be small soldiers or apple wedges can be sailboats and your child’s mouth the river.

2. Pack their Snacks together: By getting your children involved in packing their own lunchboxes. Get them to bag portions of fruit slices, crackers and veggies along with some fruit juice or even water and these images will be in their minds the whole day making them look forward to lunchtime when they can eat.

3. Shop, shop, shop: Take your child shopping with you. Read the ingredients of the snacks they choose along with the ones you think they should choose and compare the health-factors. If there’s a new fruit on the stands, let them pick it out, weigh it and place it in the trolley to try at home, they’ll feel like it’s something they were involved in buying and will appreciate it more.

4. Taste as a Family: Place slices of a variety of apples or breads on a plate and taste each one, discussing which are your favourites and why. Your child will benefit from being able to offer their opinion and consider yours. This way you’ll know which healthy foods your child likes and can treat them to healthy snacks that they enjoy.

5. Grow your food: If you cannot grow your veggies in your back yard, most local growers are happy to share their fresh produce experience with children. Organise a trip with your child and a friend or two to the local farm fields where they can see the fruits and veggies grow.

6. Sing for your Supper: Find songs with lyrics that promote healthy eating and share them with your kids. When they eat various foods they’ve sung about they are more likely to enjoy the morsel than not. There are also songs available for kids that make healthy eating fun – be prepared to pass around the potato and basically act like a fool.

7. Healthy food books: You can get your children colouring books of healthy foodstuffs and help them do the activities or read stories where the vegetables or fruit take on characters. You can also use books as a tool to learn about the goodness of eating fruit and vegetables, make sure you allow your child to help during the research process. It’ll make them feel more empowered.

8. Get Crafty: Let your child do a paper craft that can be displayed on your fridge. Make paint stamps out of potatoes or help them create a crazy animal with various pastas.

9. Play Healthy Eating Games: If your children have fun with healthy foodstuffs they are more likely to enjoy eating them. Get creative here – let your child choose from their play food and make a meal for you to eat or play verbal “I Spy” games and make the category healthy foods.

10. Prepare meals together: Getting your child involved in the making of their meal will make them more interested in the foods they eat, and more prepared to eat them. When the food is almost ready show your children how to set the table and when you all sit down to enjoy the meal make sure you praise them so that everyone can congratulate them.