“I tried kale chips this weekend,” says Tracey Johnson, patient access specialist, Northwest Region. “They are surprisingly awesome and simple to make. The tricks are: no purple kale, remove tough stems, don’t overcook. That’s about it! Yum! Even my son who is afraid of vegetables liked them.”

Whether you have picky preschoolers or stubborn teens, getting your kids to eat their veggies can test your patience. But pushing foods on your kids won’t tempt them. Meet them halfway by making fruits and vegetables more appetizing and fun.

• Persuade them with dips. Try cream cheese or peanut butter with apples wedges, celery sticks, or pear slices; guacamole or hummus with bell peppers or carrots; or low-fat yogurt with bananas, berries, or pineapple. Perk up cheese sauce with nutrient-dense beans, salsa, and shredded spinach… then serve as a dip for broccoli and zucchini sticks.

• Say okay to popular options. Salsa, guacamole, and hummus aren’t just condiments — they count toward veggie servings for the day. The same goes for 100 percent fruit juice, fruit smoothies, tomato soup, and spaghetti sauce. Help lower their resistance by giving kids the nod to enjoy these favorites as part of their daily requirement.

• Slip them in under the radar. Get stealthy by incorporating spinach in enchiladas or eggplant in lasagna. Puree cauliflower or squash and add it to macaroni and cheese for a creamy addition nobody will suspect. Let valuable veggies such as tomatoes and artichokes slip seamlessly into good-old-fashioned pizza sauce.

For more ideas, visit fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.