Free App for Healthy Eating: Munch 5 a Day to Keep the Doctor Away

The doctor of the future will give no medication,
but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame,
diet
and in the cause and prevention of disease.

– Thomas A Edison

Here’s a cute way to motivate your kids to get their daily recommended intake of fruits & veggies in.

The Munch 5-a-Day app is a free iPhone app (also available for iPad) launched by social well-being company MeYou Health. Basically, you set your goals for crunching on the good stuff, and whenever you eat a serving you simply tap on a vegetable or fruit (and are rewarded with a satisfying chomping sound and accompanying graphic).

Kids then earn silly badges like the “Talking Tomato” for munching their way to a nutritious diet. So far, I’ve unlocked the Avocado of Enthusiasm, which would be an awesome name for a band (just sayin’).

The app has helpful information about serving sizes for both adults and children, and you can adjust your goal as high as a dozen a day if you want to make the goal a team effort. You can also post your progress to the Facebook or the Twitter if you are so inclined.

Down-on-the-farm background noises earn bonus points for cuteness, in my opinion, but I readily appreciate the option to turn the sounds off.

Remember, the habits you instill in your kids will shape their future eating practices. Are you setting a standard to live by, or an example to be overcome?

Be honest, now:

Do you get your five a day? Do your kids?