Every day I pile fruit and veggies onto each of my children’s plates, and every day I ladle them, untouched, into a storage container to be eaten, by me, later. Only one of my four children, in fact, eats fruits and vegetables with any kind of enthusiasm. I’ve read (on numerous occasions) that if you put produce on their plates every day, they will eventually eat it. I’m not buying it. Marin and Addison used to like vegetables, if served cold and with hummus or salad dressing. They even loved salad…for about one month. Now, all bets are of. On a good day, they’ll eat a banana AND sliced apples. It drives me nuts, and naturally, I worry whether they are getting adequate nutrition. But enough about me – I’m writing this because I bumped into a resource that might just “trick” kids into eating their fruits and veggies – by way of charity!

Produce for Kids is an organization that works with both the produce industry and grociers to promote healthy eating for kids. The organization also raises funds and awareness for non-profits (Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and PBS Kids.)

How it works: For every produce item purchased at one of these stores: Public, Meijer, Giant, Price Chopper, Kroger, and ACME, PFK sponsors make a donation to your local Children’s Miracle Network. It’s simple, and a worthwhile cause kids and parents can both sink their teeth into (no pun intended.)

The PFK website also has fun games for kids, resources for parents and teachers, and lots of healthy recipes to test on your picky little eaters.