10 Ways to Encourage Kids to Eat Healthier

There are plenty of ways to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

Here are the agency's suggestions:

• Create smoothies with fat-free or low-fat yogurt with fruit pieces and crushed ice.

• Use fresh, frozen, canned or even overripe fruit, such as bananas, berries, peaches or pineapple.

• Let your kids dip fruit and vegetables in a dip.Make fun kabobs resembling caterpillars by assembling chunks of melon, apple, orange and pear on skewers.

• For a raw veggie version, use zucchini, cucumber, squash, sweet peppers or tomatoes.

• Make personal pizzas with whole-wheat English muffins, bagels or pita bread as the crust. Add tomato sauce, low-fat cheese and cut-up vegetables or fruit for toppings.

• Assemble a fruity peanut butterfly by using carrot sticks or celery for the body and attaching wings made of thinly sliced apples with peanut butter.

• Decorate with halved grapes or dried fruit.Freeze fruits for a fun and refreshing treat during summer.

• Make "bugs on a log" by using celery, cucumber or carrot sticks as the log, and add peanut butter. Then top with dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries or cherries.

• Make homemade trail mix with dried apples, pineapple, cherries, apricots or raisins. Make a potato person by decorating half a baked potato.

• Use vegetables such as sliced cherry tomatoes or peas, and low-fat cheese to make a fun face.

• Ask your child to name new veggie or fruit creation. Let the child arrange raw veggies or fruit into a fun shape or design.