Children are awesome little bundles of joy. Their innocence and energy brighten the home, and their wonder and eagerness to learn are awe-inspiring.
They are also picky.
And fickle.
And temperamental.
At no time is this more obvious than at the dinner table. Attend any gathering of moms and ask how many of them have trouble getting their wee ones to eat vegetables. I would bet the farm that more than 75% would raise their hands.
Why with the myriad options we have at the grocery store, do kids insist on sticking to a diet of chicken nuggets, mac n’ cheese, and applesauce?!
Obviously, we not only want our children to eat healthier foods, but we also need them to eat better so that they will be healthy.
But, how do we get our kids to eat more vegetables? Here are a few tips.
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Let Your Children Pick Out a Vegetable at the Grocery Store
It can be fresh, frozen, or canned, but fresh is better. The idea here is that if they pick it out, they are invested in some way. Even if they hate it, let them pick something else out on the next trip to the store.
To make it even more fun for them, visit a cool farmer’s market in your area and let them pick something out there. They can interact with the farmers and that can lead to even more investment on the child’s part.
Let Your Children Help You Plan Dinner
Tell them there has to be a vegetable included and let them choose between two. Fewer choices make it less difficult for your child. If you narrow it down to a simple choice and you show them that you trust their judgment, they may be more likely to partake.
Let Your Children Help You Cook
Like Tip #1, your children will be more invested and more likely to eat what they helped prepare. Consider investing in a child’s knife and cutting board set. Let them cut the veggies into unique or crazy shapes. They will get a kick out it and will enjoy eating what they helped prepare.
Cook Casseroles With Veggies in Them
Casseroles are a great way to hide veggies in your kid’s meals. Yes, they may pick out all the green beans, but they may miss the peas and corn.
Hide Veggies in Other Foods
You can very finely chop zucchini or celery and add it to spaghetti sauce without the kids noticing. I’ve even pulled this trick with taco meat. It barely changes the flavor, if at all.
Serve Vegetables With a Dip or Sauce
Celery and peanut butter. Carrots and hummus. Cucumbers and ranch dressing. Steamed broccoli with cheese sauce. My daughter went through a phase where she put ketchup on everything but her cereal. Hey, if that helps get the broccoli and peas down, so be it.
Juice Vegetables
Mix veggies like celery or spinach with apples, oranges or blueberries. The sweetness of the fruits drowns out the flavor of the vegetables, so children love it. Bonus: serve in a creative cup with a curly straw to make it more fun to drink.
Roast Vegetables
Sometimes veggies are just gross because they are over-cooked and mussy. No wonder children turn up their noses! Chop sweet potatoes, squash, and zucchini and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Top with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and salt. Bake for around 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. Your veggies will be tender and incredibly flavorful. Play around with other veggies like broccoli or green beans, as well. As a result, your children may just find they like vegetables more if they are cooked this way.
Let Your Children Eat With Their Fingers
I know. I know. My poor grandmother is rolling over in her grave at the thought of actually encouraging children to eat without a fork. But, hey, if it helps them get the veggies down, then okay. I promise they will not still be eating peas with their fingers when they go off to college. They’ll grow out of it. But, for now, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Model Healthy Eating Habits
Let your children see you eating vegetables often. Whether it’s getting seconds of the broccoli during dinner or snacking on crunchy carrots, your children are watching you and learning from you.
What tricks do you have to get children to eat vegetables? Join the conversation below.
I used to add grated carrots to spaghetti sauce. I made split pea soup and called it “green soup”. David loved it. He hated peas. He didn’t realize until he was married to Melissa that it was made of peas! We called broccoli “trees”. He loved them until some of his friends told him that broccoli was “yuck”. I foolishly gave into this. Then another vegetable followed and I gave in. It took me awhile to realize what he was doing. Then we were down to spinach and beans as the only veggie-other than spaghetti sauce. What a mistake I made>