Trying New Fruits and Vegetables

The importance of fruits and vegetables:

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of healthy eating and healthy bodies, they contain important nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, and minerals. Meals and snacks should include plenty of fruits and vegetables and the new Canada Food Guide recommends that you should be aiming to make half of you and your child’s plates fruits and vegetables. However, sometimes it can be difficult to get your child to enjoy and try new healthy food options.

 

5 Tips for getting your child to love fruits and vegetables:

  1. Introduce new fruits and vegetables alongside familiar foods. Does your child love tacos? try adding beans and roasted vegetables to them!
  2. Choose different textures, colours, and shapes. This not only aids in sensory learning for your child but also ensures they are getting a range of vitamins and minerals from their foods.
  3. Lead by example! If your children see others trying new fruits and vegetables they are more willing to try it along with them. Making healthy choices for yourself will promote healthy habits in your children.
  4. Get your children involved. Try planting your own foods or taking them to your local farmers market to learn about new foods, where they come from and how they are grown. Another great way to to get children involved is to include them in grocery shopping and meal preparation.
  5. Try, try again. Most children need to be introduced to a new food up to 10 times before they will try it, and it can be another few tries until they decide if they enjoy it, so don’t give up. Giving your child fruits and vegetables from a young age can assist in making them more open to trying new foods.

On Sunday May 12 our POP Club kids will be trying radishes at the Two Bite Club, learn more about the POP Club here and visit us at the market to register.

The POP Club is a farmer’s market-based kids program. Children (ages 5 – 12 years old) will learn about fruits and vegetables, local food systems and healthy food preparation through fun activities all season long.

Each week children will earn a $3 market token to use towards any fruit or vegetable of their choice. There is no cost to participate and the program runs every Sunday rain or shine!

Summer POP Club – Week 2

Discover the Power of Produce and join the POP Club this Sunday!
May 12th – Week 2: This week in the POP tent we will be hosting a Market Wide Scavenger Hunt. Stop by the tent to sign in (or register), collect your scavenger hunt sheet and then head into the market with your care provider to see if you can complete your card. Don’t forget to head back to the POP tent to participate in the 2 Bite Club and complete your passport.
2 Bite Club: Radishes from Mandair Farms
The POP Club is a farmers market-based kids program. Children (ages 5 – 12 years old) will learn about fruits and vegetables, local food systems and healthy food preparation through fun activities all season long.
Each week children will earn a $3 market token to use towards any fruit or vegetable of their choice. There is no cost to participate and the program runs every Sunday rain or shine!

Sunday, May 12

What a fantastic Opening Day! Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy a beautiful Sunday with us! Make us a part of your weekly routine and celebrate the best of local and community every Sunday.

We’re starting off our summer season with a month of Member-Only specials! Now is the best time to purchase or renew your market membership to receive Member-Only specials every Sunday in May! Not a member? You can sign up HERE.

Member Only Specials Available this Sunday: 

  • Food Migration: $1 off for each bag of ChaNut purchased
  • fresh-N Home Products: Free Fridge/Compost pouch ($10 value) with any purchase over $20
  • Garys Kettle Corn: $1 off large bags of kettle corn
  • Gesundheit Bakery: Save $1 off a purchase of $5 or more
  • Hoochy ‘Booch Kombucha: FREE GROWLERS for members, and if they already have a growler $1 OFF per Litre
  • KICS Gourmet Products: .50 cents off single bottle purchase
  • Kizzy’s Macarons: Buy 5 or more and get 1 free
  • Nature Pressed Juicery: Buy 1 get the 2nd one for 50% off
  • PoCo Soap Co: Save $2 on individual bars of soap and $5 off of Hair Wax
  • Sweet Thea: 10% off

We’ve got delicious meal options in our Food Truck area this week. Grab a meal from Kara’s Crepes, Vick & Jas’s Kitchen, or Gypsy Trunk Gourmet Fare.  Don’t forget to grab your Sunday coffee from Brewnetti Cafe!

Bring Mom to our Mother’s Day tent this Sunday for a little pampering. Moms will receive a free macaron and coffee when they stop in.  (Supplies are limited, so bring Mom early!)

We’re making paper straw tulips in our Kids Craft Area this weekend.  Make a few to create a beautiful bouquet for the Mom in your life.

We’ll be joined by Bad Seed in our community group space. Stop by their table to learn more about this great community organization.

Musician, Ranj Singh will be providing some great tunes for us this Sunday. Click HERE to get a sneak peek of his music, and catch him live this weekend!

VENDORS ATTENDING MARKET THIS SUNDAY *PLEASE NOTE THIS LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
  • A Bread Affair
  • Ace Curries To Go / Vick & Jas’s Kitchen
  • Amazing Food BC
  • Aslan Organics
  • BCB HONEY FARM
  • Bowen Island Herb Salts
  • Brewnetti Cafe
  • Ca Croustille Bakery
  • Central Park Farms
  • Chanthorn Orchids and Thai Curry Sauce
  • Chef Pieter
  • Crisp Organics
  • Dee’s Jewelry Box
  • Earth Paws Pet Products
  • Einai Designs
  • Ela Made Me Do It
  • Food Migration
  • Food On The Grow
  • Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm
  • fresh-N Home Products
  • Fume-eh Gourmet Foods
  • Gabi & Jules Handmade Pies
  • Garys Kettle Corn
  • Gesundheit Bakery
  • Golden Ears Cheesecrafters
  • Gooba Bakes
  • Gypsy Trunk Gourmet Fare
  • Hoochy ‘Booch Kombucha
  • Jam Shack Preservery
  • John Spice
  • Kara’s Crepes
  • Kics Gourmet Products
  • Kimi Designs
  • Kizzy’s Macarons
  • Koji Fine Foods
  • Mandair Farms
  • Marie’s Guilt Free Bakery
  • Mariner Brewing
  • Mountain Naturals Soap
  • Nature Pressed Juicery
  • Never Say Die Nursery
  • Oyster & King
  • PoCo Soap Co
  • Quality Oak Accents
  • Redl’s Home Grown Beef
  • Rockweld Farm
  • Rocky Point Ice Cream
  • Royal City Donuts
  • S & S Nursery
  • Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse
  • Sugar Free Kitchen
  • Sweet Thea
  • The Jerk Store
  • The Magpies Nest
  • Warmerdam Flowers
  • Whey Fresco

Seed Planting with Kids

Did you know…

Gardening is great for curious children who like to learn by doing and enjoy playing in the dirt, it can also be a fun activity for both you and your children to enjoy together! Gardening helps develop skills and allows children to learn from growing their own food.  Planting with children engages their senses, encourages healthy eating, teaches them about where fresh food comes from, and promotes the importance of taking care of nature and the environment.

Tips for gardening with kids:

  1. Plant the rainbow! It is fun to have a range of colours growing in your garden
  2. Plant foods that you know that they enjoy, but also new foods to try as well
  3. Plant a range of textures to engage their senses
  4. Some quick growing plants include: lettuce, radishes, and cherry tomatoes

Tips for growing beans:

  1. Feed and water well
  2. Put in a place that gets sunlight
  3. Beans do well in pots
  4. If planting pole beans, give them a support to climb

We will be planting bean seeds this Sunday May 5th at the POP Club! Learn more about the POP club here and visit us at the market to sign up! 

Children will plant beans,  learn how to take care of their future seedlings, and take them home to watch them grow!

The POP Club is a farmer’s market-based kids program. Children (ages 5 – 12 years old) will learn about fruits and vegetables, local food systems and healthy food preparation through fun activities all season long.

Each week children will earn a $3 market token to use towards any fruit or vegetable of their choice. There is no cost to participate and the program runs every Sunday rain or shine!