5 Creative Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Vegetables
1. Dip ’em. Kids love dipping things. They dip their hands (and sometimes feet) into finger paints. They dunk cookies into milk. So, next time they want to munch, arrange a snack of baby carrots, celery, or red peppers onto a plate and add a cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side. Serve broccoli and let them dunk it into cheese sauce. Even kids who don’t care much for veggies will devour them if they can dip it first.
2. Hide ’em. Sometimes you have to be sneaky to get what you want. The old saying “Ignorance is Bliss” absolutely applies here! Finely chop a few zucchinis and add them to pasta sauce. Puree some carrots and add it to macaroni and cheese. Cook up spaghetti squash and add it to angel hair pasta. Your kids won’t know they’re eating something healthy, or why you have a huge smile on your face!
3. Shape ’em. Cooking can be a creative outlet. Get your kids involved with preparation, and they may just eat what they’ve helped to prepare. Use cookie cutter shapes to create “eggplant stars.” Show them how to make “radish roses” by making thin slices from the top down about Ã?½ inch, following the contour of the radish. Keep going until you have almost the entire radish sliced. (If you have little ones, YOU can do the shaping, but they’ll love to watch.) Put in ice water and refrigerate for a few hours to “bloom.” (This is best done mid-morning, if you’re planning on eating them at dinnertime.) Encourage them to bring out their inner artist, and they can eat their “projects” when they’re done!
4. Stew ’em. Nothing warms the body in the winter more than a huge pot of vegetable stew. Carrots, celery, potatoes, lentils and peas in a beef stock can make for a hearty (and healthy) way to get their necessary “5-a-day” of vegetables. Add some fun-shaped pasta and your kids will be too busy counting, sorting, and spelling to care that they’re eating well.
5. Eat ’em! Yourself! Make sure to set a good example by getting your recommended daily allowance. Add peas to your tuna casserole; fill up half of your dinner plate with a mixed green salad; top a baked potato with fresh, homemade salsa. Try to serve vegetables with each lunch and dinner. Your kids may squawk at first. But the more they see you eat them, the more likely they will be to include them in their diet on a regular basis.
When our son, Spencer, was just a toddler, it was easier to ensure his dietary needs were met. Perhaps it was because he was a captive audience in a highchair. He used to love jarred peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, squashâÂ?¦ you name it. Then, of course, he mastered the art of scrunching up his face in protest at the thought of eating them in solid form. I knew that getting him to eat his veggies was going to be no small feat. At first, I was horrified at the thought of putting veggies on his plate every night at dinner, knowing I was just going to feed the disposal instead. I begged, I flew the airplane into the hangar, I sang, I bribed (ok, ok, so I caved!) But it got better, and now, he’s more open to new foods. Get creative, get them involved, and get sneaky if you have to, because the payoff is worth it.
