There are many ways to encourage children to eat fruit and vegetables so they get the nutrition they need.

Bintang Nutricia and Ayo Dongeng communities offer a unique method encouraging children to eat fruit and vegetables: storytelling.

They have been running a program called the Indonesia International Folklore Festival in eight cities across the archipelago since early November. During the festival, professional storytellers encourage children to consume fruit and vegetables through folktales.

“Through storytelling, children don’t feel like they are being ordered to do something,” Bintang Nutricia volunteer Fauziah Syafarina Nasution said at the festival held at Istana Mini, the former Dutch East India Company’s governor’s house, in Banda Neira, on the Banda Islands in Central Maluku, on Sunday.

Fauziah explained the method had been proven to be effective when they first introduced it at a number of preschools. The storytellers described the colors and the tastes of fruit to preschoolers.

“You can’t just ask kids plainly to eat fruit. It is better to tell them descriptively how each of the fruits taste in order to make them curious,” she said.

Each fruit has a unique flavor. Once kids are willing to consume fruit, they will not be as picky, thus increasing their nutritious intake, she said.

Indonesia is one of 17 countries in the world with serious malnutrition problems among children, she added.

“Interestingly, we have found that after listening to fruit storytelling, preschoolers will ask their parents for fruit,” she explained.

Yet in Banda Neira, parents have their own challenges.

“It’s hard to get fruits and vegetables here,” said Siti Nur Asiyah.

Her 4-year-old daughter is not a picky eater. She would eat whatever her mom had prepared for her,
Siti said.

“We have water spinach, moringa and katuk, but there are not any carrots unless a shipment from Ambon comes in. Even so, carrots are expensive and will be sold out in the market in less than a week,” she said.

A vegetable seller admitted she had to sell onions and garlic for high prices.

“I got them for Rp 45,000 [US$3.30] per kilogram,” she said. She then sold onions and garlic for Rp 50,000 per kg.

Bananas and papayas can be easily found on the island. However, Ananda Taliyah, a middle school student, does not like to eat those fruits.

“I love strawberries, but I can only find them when the ship [from Ambon] comes,” she said, while holding a container of artificially flavored syrup in her hand.

Nevertheless, children welcomed the storytelling and joyfully tried to recognize names and colors of fruits and vegetables shown by the storytellers.

“It was surprising that they did not know what broccoli was. They called it tree,” Fauziah said.

A total of 8,000 people — parents and children — took part in the festivals held in Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Malang, Poso and Banda Neira.

“We want to revive and promote storytelling. A lot of people have shown enthusiasm so we’ll continue the program next year,” Ayo Dongeng Indonesia chief coordinator Ariyo Zidni said.

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