Kids and Vegetables

Some Ways To Encourage Your Kids To Eat Them!

Kids and vegetables don't seem to go together very easily! One common struggle that most mothers will face at some time or other is getting their kids to eat their veggies, as most kids will turn up their nose at the site of anything green. So how do you get around the veggie issue? Here are some fun and easy ways to get your kids to eat their veggies.

Fun Presentation
Kids love fun and colorful food. Cut up some carrot sticks, cucumber rounds, sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced bell peppers and arrange them all in a plate. You can make a face using the cucumber rounds for the eyes, carrot sticks for eyebrows, cherry tomatoes for nose and mouth and arrange the pepper strips to form the face. Serve with hummus and cut pita bread on the side.

Make it Routine
Try to serve at least one veggie with each meal your child has. You can alternate between salads and cooked or cut veggies but always serve at least one with each meal. Your child may not eat them at first but if they see that veggies are a standard part of meal times they may just start trying them.

Set a Good Example
This one goes without saying. Just like making veggies a routine part of meals it will also help kids to see mom and dad eating their greens. Show your kids how nice veggies can be by filling your plate up.

Get Creative
Okay this is a little sneaky but definitely works. Most kids love spaghetti so place some cooked veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, peppers into a food processor and whiz until liquid. Add the mixture to your spaghetti sauce for a nutritious meal. But make sure you don't go overboard and add too many veggies as this will change the taste of the sauce. The trick is to start out slow and gradually increase the amount of veggies as
your kid's taste palette changes.

Veggie Muffins
Add a little grated carrot or zucchini to your standard muffin recipe. Banana carrot muffins are delicious and so are zucchini chocolate chip muffins. You can also bake pumpkin muffins or cake. This is a great way to give your kids a yummy treat and still ensure they’re getting a good serving of veggies.

The One Bite Rule
We have a rule in our house. Even if the kids don't like the look of the veggies they must at least try one bite. If they actually don't like it then they don't have to eat it. This avoids a lot of meal time tantrums and often the kids will actually like the food once they taste it. Try it - you may be pleasantly surprised at how many different foods you kids will actually eat. But make sure you take no notice of their reaction, either way ... even if they DO like it, they will pretend not to if they know you are watching!

Grow Your Own
There is nothing like growing your own vegetables to make your kids interested in eating them! You don't need much space, either - just a pot or two on the windowsill will do, if that is all you have got. Radishes and "cut and come again" lettuce are very fast and satisfying, as well as good to eat. Runner beans are great for kids if you have more space and , if you have a warm windowsill (or a greenhouse) you could try some baby tomatoes.

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