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How to Help Your Child Learn to Eat Cherries
February 2022
Last reviewed: February 2022
Author:
Shemar Hawkins
Coauthors:
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
Alexandria Delozier, PHD
Laura Petix, M.S. OTR/L
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Stefanie Kain, B.S. M.Ed
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Author:
Shemar Hawkins
Coauthors:
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
Alexandria Delozier, PHD
Laura Petix, M.S. OTR/L
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Stefanie Kain, B.S. M.Ed
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Faye was sitting in her chair during a family outing to a restaurant. Going out to a restaurant for the family has become increasingly stressful, as Faye has become prone to having mealtime meltdowns. Luckily, her mother spotted a fruit bowl on the menu. Faye liked eating fruit, so her mother ordered a fruit bowl for her.
When the food arrived Faye looked at her fruit bowl and picked out all the cherries with a fork.
Her mother, feeling defeated, asked, “What is wrong with the cherries?”
“I just don’t want them. I only want to eat what I like.” Faye replied.
“But you’ve never had cherries. How do you know you wont like them? They are sweet like other berries. Just try them.”
Faye looked at her bowl, pinched her nose and raised the cherry to her mouth. She stopped, dropped the fork and started crying.
When you have a selective eater, dining out can sometimes be tough. We understand. Here are step-by-step strategies on how to get your child to eat cherries without the mealtime battle.
Please note: Cherries can be a choking hazard for some age groups. Be sure to slice into halves or fourths to prevent a potential choking hazard.
The Benefits of Cherries for Kids
Cherries offer many health benefits for kids and toddlers and support important functions within their bodies. For instance, cherries provide vitamin C, which is a vitamin responsible for boosting our immune systems and increasing our immune response. Essentially, it helps fight off sickness.
Cherries also provide copper. Copper is a mineral that assists in energy production.
Lastly, cherries are a source of potassium. Potassium plays a major role in fluid balance and kidney functionality.
Cherries can be a very versatile fruit to serve. They can be eaten cold like in a smoothie or hot like in a hot cherry pie. Cherries can also be eaten by themselves as a snack. This versatility helps us serve up cherries to kids in many ways and forms.
When making the move to introducing a new food, try starting with a micro portion. A micro portion is a serving of food that is extremely small–think the size of a pinkie nail or dime. Micro portions also help cut down on food waste.
Above all, we recommend a no-pressure approach. Putting pressure on kids or otherwise forcing them to try foods often backfires and can lead to kids refusing to eat.
Pressure can sometimes be hard to identify. Here are a few examples language that is pressure oriented:
“Are you sure that you are full? Maybe try just a little more.”
“It isn’t that bad, will you take a bite for me?”
“Finish all of your food before you leave the table.”
In our story above, Faye’s mom was using pressure when she told Faye to “just try” the cherries. The added pressure did not encourage Faye to try the fruit.
How to Talk About Cherries to Help Your Child Try Them
Word choice is important. The way we describe foods can have an effect on how a child may look at food. Children can take cues from their parents, so we encourage parents to use neutral language when talking about foods. Picky eaters tend to talk negatively about food. This behavior can prevent them from trying the new food.
It’s important to help your child use neutral language and objective words when it comes to food, like describing the characteristics of the food, rather than referring to it as “good” or “bad.”
Here are a few neutral words you can use to describe cherries to your picky eater:
Red
Round
Wet
Chewy
Juicy
Stem or no stem
Tart
Sweet
Faye’s mother could have tried talking about cherries in a more neutral way, such as saying, “Cherries are red and juicy.”
How to Help Your Child Understand What Cherries Do in Their Body
Helping a child make a connection between what they eat and the impact it has on their bodies is very powerful. We can do this by sharing age-appropriate facts about food with them as it pertains to their bodies. This practice will be beneficial to them and their long-term relationship with food.
Of course, it will not be a single conversation that will fix everything. Children may need multiple examples and explanations to understand the importance of the message.
We have a few examples of fun facts about cherries you can share with your kids and toddlers:
Age 0-3: Cherries help us run fast.
Age 3-5: Cherries give you energy to help you run fast.
Age 6-11: Cherries have copper. Copper is a mineral that gives us energy to do the activities we want to do.
Age 12-18: The copper in cherries helps with energy production. They also have vitamin C, which helps our body’s immune system fight off sickness.
After explaining that cherries were red and juicy, Faye’s mother could have added, “Cherries give you energy.”
Food play can have a powerful impact on whether a kid tries a new food. Food play overall serves as a middle ground between playing, learning and discovery. The goal of food play is to introduce food with the least amount of intimidation possible. It serves to be a more relaxed setting and has games and playfulness heavily involved.
Also, food play activities provide an avenue for desensitization. Desensitization is a process in which a child becomes more comfortable or accustomed to a food and its particular smell, feel, sight, touch and maybe even taste. So, for example, an onion becomes less smelly the more times you are exposed to it. The same mechanism is at work here with food play.
Food play can take on many different forms. It can be simple or complex. Here is an example of a food play activity involving cherries.
3 bowls Varieties of cherries (frozen, fresh, or jarred)
Directions
Pour bag of cherries into a bowl with two bowls next to each other
Together with your child, separate the cherries into two bowls. Put all the cherries with stems in one bowl and all the cherries without stems in another bowl.
As you and your child are sorting through, count the total amount of cherries, and then count the number of stemless cherries/stemmed cherries.
For a high energy activity, add the following steps:
Set the bowls further away from the table and play “toss the cherries.”
Toss different types of cherries (jarred, frozen, fresh) if available. Slice them in half, mash them a little. Try to give a wide range of different textures that your child will experience once they are comfortable with eating cherries.
Thanks for being part of our community that’s teaching kids to eat more foods!
About Kids Eat in Color
Kids Eat in Color gives parents the tools they need to teach their kids to eat veggies and try foods without a battle! From introducing new foods to a picky eater, to reducing meal-time stress, to taking off some of the burdens of meal planning, shopping, and cooking, we are here for parents.
References
Baylin, Jonathan. “Behavioral Epigenetics and Attachment: The New Science of Trust and Mistrust.” The Neuropsychotherapist 1, no. 3 (2013): 68–79. https://doi.org/10.12744/tnpt(3)068-079.
Benson, Jeryl D., Carol S. Parke, Casey Gannon, and Diane Muñoz. “A Retrospective Analysis of the Sequential Oral Sensory Feeding Approach in Children with Feeding Difficulties.” Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention 6, no. 4 (2013): 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2013.860758.
Berk, Laura E. Development Through the Lifespan. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2018.
Bodison, Stefanie C., and L. Diane Parham. “Specific Sensory Techniques and Sensory Environmental Modifications for Children and Youth with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Systematic Review.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 72, no. 1 (December 2017). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.029413.
Case-Smith, Jane, and Jane Clifford O’Brien. Occupational Therapy for Children. Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby/Elsevier, 2010.
Chambial, Shailja, Shailendra Dwivedi, Kamla Kant Shukla, Placheril J. John, and Praveen Sharma. “Vitamin C in Disease Prevention and Cure: An Overview.” Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry 28, no. 4 (2013): 314–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3.
Cooke, L. “The Importance of Exposure for Healthy Eating in Childhood: A Review.” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 20, no. 4 (2007): 294–301. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-277x.2007.00804.x.
Copple, Carol, and Sue Bredekamp. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs: Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2008.
Hagan, Joseph F., Judith S. Shaw, and Paula M. Duncan, eds. Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (Pocket Guide). 4th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017. https://brightfutures.aap.org/Bright%20Futures%20Documents/BF4_POCKETGUIDE.pdf.
Kramer, Paula, Jim Hinojosa, and Tsu-Hsin Howe. Frames of Reference for Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, 2020.
Min, Kyoung-Chul, and Yoo-Im Choi. “Review of Effectiveness Sensory Integration Therapy on Feeding and Oral Function of Children Focus on Single-Subject Research Design.” Journal of Korean Society of Occupational Therapy 29, no. 1 (2021): 101–13. https://doi.org/10.14519/kjot.2021.29.1.08.
Papalia, Diane E., Ruth Duskin Feldman, and Sally Wendkos Olds. Human Development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009.
Parham, L. Diane, Gloria Frolek Clark, Renee Watling, and Roseann Schaaf. “Occupational Therapy Interventions for Children and Youth with Challenges in Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing: A Clinic-Based Practice Case Example.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 73, no. 1 (January 2019). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.731002.
Roley, Smith Susanne, Erna I. Blanche, and Roseann C. Schaaf. Understanding the Nature of Sensory Integration with Diverse Populations. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, 2007.
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Shemar O. Hawkins is the Child Nutrition Fellow at Kids Eat in Color. He reads and synthesizes scientific literature and creates research briefs on child nutrition and guides to help parents and caregivers feed their picky eaters. He is currently working on becoming a Registered Dietitian- Nutrition at Texas State University.
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Faye was sitting in her chair during a family outing to a restaurant. Going out to a restaurant for the family has become increasingly stressful, as Faye has become prone to having mealtime meltdowns. Luckily, her mother spotted a fruit bowl on the menu. Faye liked eating fruit, so her mother ordered a fruit bowl for her.
When the food arrived Faye looked at her fruit bowl and picked out all the cherries with a fork.
Her mother, feeling defeated, asked, “What is wrong with the cherries?”
“I just don’t want them. I only want to eat what I like.” Faye replied.
“But you’ve never had cherries. How do you know you wont like them? They are sweet like other berries. Just try them.”
Faye looked at her bowl, pinched her nose and raised the cherry to her mouth. She stopped, dropped the fork and started crying.
When you have a selective eater, dining out can sometimes be tough. We understand. Here are step-by-step strategies on how to get your child to eat cherries without the mealtime battle.
In this article we will share:
Please note: Cherries can be a choking hazard for some age groups. Be sure to slice into halves or fourths to prevent a potential choking hazard.
The Benefits of Cherries for Kids
Cherries offer many health benefits for kids and toddlers and support important functions within their bodies. For instance, cherries provide vitamin C, which is a vitamin responsible for boosting our immune systems and increasing our immune response. Essentially, it helps fight off sickness.
Cherries also provide copper. Copper is a mineral that assists in energy production.
Lastly, cherries are a source of potassium. Potassium plays a major role in fluid balance and kidney functionality.
Related: Get even more expert tips for helping your picky eater.
How to Serve Cherries to Picky Eaters
Cherries can be a very versatile fruit to serve. They can be eaten cold like in a smoothie or hot like in a hot cherry pie. Cherries can also be eaten by themselves as a snack. This versatility helps us serve up cherries to kids in many ways and forms.
When making the move to introducing a new food, try starting with a micro portion. A micro portion is a serving of food that is extremely small–think the size of a pinkie nail or dime. Micro portions also help cut down on food waste.
Above all, we recommend a no-pressure approach. Putting pressure on kids or otherwise forcing them to try foods often backfires and can lead to kids refusing to eat.
Pressure can sometimes be hard to identify. Here are a few examples language that is pressure oriented:
In our story above, Faye’s mom was using pressure when she told Faye to “just try” the cherries. The added pressure did not encourage Faye to try the fruit.
Related: Try BetterBites – the best-selling picky eating course for families.
How to Talk About Cherries to Help Your Child Try Them
Word choice is important. The way we describe foods can have an effect on how a child may look at food. Children can take cues from their parents, so we encourage parents to use neutral language when talking about foods. Picky eaters tend to talk negatively about food. This behavior can prevent them from trying the new food.
It’s important to help your child use neutral language and objective words when it comes to food, like describing the characteristics of the food, rather than referring to it as “good” or “bad.”
Here are a few neutral words you can use to describe cherries to your picky eater:
Faye’s mother could have tried talking about cherries in a more neutral way, such as saying, “Cherries are red and juicy.”
Related: Tired of meal planning? Try Real Easy Weekdays: The Meal Plan for Busy Families.
How to Help Your Child Understand What Cherries Do in Their Body
Helping a child make a connection between what they eat and the impact it has on their bodies is very powerful. We can do this by sharing age-appropriate facts about food with them as it pertains to their bodies. This practice will be beneficial to them and their long-term relationship with food.
Of course, it will not be a single conversation that will fix everything. Children may need multiple examples and explanations to understand the importance of the message.
We have a few examples of fun facts about cherries you can share with your kids and toddlers:
After explaining that cherries were red and juicy, Faye’s mother could have added, “Cherries give you energy.”
Related: Download our free guide, From Stress to Success: 4 Ways to Help Your Child Eat Better Without Losing Your Mind.
Cherry Food Activity
Food play can have a powerful impact on whether a kid tries a new food. Food play overall serves as a middle ground between playing, learning and discovery. The goal of food play is to introduce food with the least amount of intimidation possible. It serves to be a more relaxed setting and has games and playfulness heavily involved.
Also, food play activities provide an avenue for desensitization. Desensitization is a process in which a child becomes more comfortable or accustomed to a food and its particular smell, feel, sight, touch and maybe even taste. So, for example, an onion becomes less smelly the more times you are exposed to it. The same mechanism is at work here with food play.
Food play can take on many different forms. It can be simple or complex. Here is an example of a food play activity involving cherries.
If you need more food activity ideas broken down by age of child (0 to 10-years-old) and stage of learning to like new foods, you may enjoy our food activities guide: Food Play Every Day: 102+ Food Play Activities for Kids.
Cherry Count & Sort
Age group: 5 yrs+
Materials
3 bowls
Varieties of cherries (frozen, fresh, or jarred)
Directions
For a high energy activity, add the following steps:
Thanks for being part of our community that’s teaching kids to eat more foods!
About Kids Eat in Color
Kids Eat in Color gives parents the tools they need to teach their kids to eat veggies and try foods without a battle! From introducing new foods to a picky eater, to reducing meal-time stress, to taking off some of the burdens of meal planning, shopping, and cooking, we are here for parents.
References
Baylin, Jonathan. “Behavioral Epigenetics and Attachment: The New Science of Trust and Mistrust.” The Neuropsychotherapist 1, no. 3 (2013): 68–79. https://doi.org/10.12744/tnpt(3)068-079.
Benson, Jeryl D., Carol S. Parke, Casey Gannon, and Diane Muñoz. “A Retrospective Analysis of the Sequential Oral Sensory Feeding Approach in Children with Feeding Difficulties.” Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention 6, no. 4 (2013): 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2013.860758.
Berk, Laura E. Development Through the Lifespan. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2018.
Bodison, Stefanie C., and L. Diane Parham. “Specific Sensory Techniques and Sensory Environmental Modifications for Children and Youth with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Systematic Review.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 72, no. 1 (December 2017). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.029413.
Case-Smith, Jane, and Jane Clifford O’Brien. Occupational Therapy for Children. Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby/Elsevier, 2010.
Chambial, Shailja, Shailendra Dwivedi, Kamla Kant Shukla, Placheril J. John, and Praveen Sharma. “Vitamin C in Disease Prevention and Cure: An Overview.” Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry 28, no. 4 (2013): 314–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3.
Cooke, L. “The Importance of Exposure for Healthy Eating in Childhood: A Review.” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 20, no. 4 (2007): 294–301. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-277x.2007.00804.x.
“Copper – Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, March 29, 2021. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional.
Copple, Carol, and Sue Bredekamp. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs: Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2008.
Hagan, Joseph F., Judith S. Shaw, and Paula M. Duncan, eds. Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (Pocket Guide). 4th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017. https://brightfutures.aap.org/Bright%20Futures%20Documents/BF4_POCKETGUIDE.pdf.
Kramer, Paula, Jim Hinojosa, and Tsu-Hsin Howe. Frames of Reference for Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer, 2020.
Milestone Moments: Learn the Signs, Act Early. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health & Human Services USA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/MilestoneMomentsEng508.pdf.
Min, Kyoung-Chul, and Yoo-Im Choi. “Review of Effectiveness Sensory Integration Therapy on Feeding and Oral Function of Children Focus on Single-Subject Research Design.” Journal of Korean Society of Occupational Therapy 29, no. 1 (2021): 101–13. https://doi.org/10.14519/kjot.2021.29.1.08.
Papalia, Diane E., Ruth Duskin Feldman, and Sally Wendkos Olds. Human Development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009.
Parham, L. Diane, Gloria Frolek Clark, Renee Watling, and Roseann Schaaf. “Occupational Therapy Interventions for Children and Youth with Challenges in Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing: A Clinic-Based Practice Case Example.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 73, no. 1 (January 2019). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.731002.
“Potassium – Fact Sheet for Consumers.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, March 22, 2021. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/.
“Preschooler Development.” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2, 2021. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002013.htm.
Roley, Smith Susanne, Erna I. Blanche, and Roseann C. Schaaf. Understanding the Nature of Sensory Integration with Diverse Populations. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, 2007.