We grown-ups, can often at heart, still behave like kids.

As adult siblings, when you meet up, perhaps you still play-fight for that certain comfy lounge chair.

Maybe you still squabble about who’s got the largest slice of: “Mamma’s delectable chocolate cake”.

Do you still refuse to try foods just because you didn’t like them as a child?

Actually, many of our poor eating habits stem from our younger years. We might still be playing our child self-narrative when we look at an olive: “Urghhh that looks like a beetle, I’m not putting that in my mouth!”

And so, the cycle of eating limited food choices continues.

We have to “play to our child within”, in order to ensure that we’re consuming healthy nutritious food.

It’s well-documented that we ought to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. But, for some of you, contemplating biting into a plain apple may seem boring, or unappetizing. This mindset means that you’re likely not consuming enough fresh produce. Or getting sufficient essential nutrients that your body needs to drive you properly.

Time to win the child-like version of you over!

I’m lucky because I love fruit and vegetables. I grew up in a rural place and plucked many a carrot from its bedding. I also helped make many a pot of fruit jam.

Nonetheless, in order to keep up the good habit, sometimes I have to appease the kiddie, Emma.

I vary how I style my fruit to ensure I keep to the recommended quota. I’ll cut it up and make a colourful salad, and I often add layers of sugar–free wobbly jelly to my bowl.

I keep some readymade jelly in the fridge, especially for days when I need coaxing. I reward myself with smiley emojis when I make my target. Sometimes, I’ll munch my way through several portions for breakfast. Or blend fruit into a delicious smoothie. This means that I’ve often already enjoyed my portions by lunchtime, so I don’t need to think about it later in the day. It’s also extremely refreshing to have fruit soon after I wake up. Pre-cut pineapple, for example, stays fresh for several days stored in a Tupperware pot in the fridge.

I pop the fruit up on my work surface and grab a piece each time I go into the kitchen.

I use the same tactic with consuming vegetables’. I like roasting them in batches, and then cooling and storing them in my fridge. This means I do all the tedious prep in one go. I do this weekly and reheat them through in the microwave or oven.

I vary how I eat them, sometimes with a cheese topping or sweet chili sauce, and balsamic vinegar is great with avocados’. I deliberately keep myself amused, as though I were still six!

If you like pasta, then simply roast some tomatoes, bell peppers, and garlic. It only takes about half an hour at a moderate temperature.  Blend them when they’ve cooled down with a little boiled water for a delicious sauce, which will also keep in your fridge for several days.

Now, more than ever, we need to be good to ourselves, and the best way we can look after our wellbeing is by eating enough fresh produce. This to me is the foundation of wellness.

Lastly, there is a misconception that fruit and vegetables are expensive. They are not if you eat seasonally. Currently, pineapples cost less than a pound to buy.

You can also save money by buying from markets, or indeed growing your own.

Set a good example to the children around you, especially the one that still resides within most of us!