Trying to get your kids to eat vegetables may seem daunting, but that doesn’t have to be the case! With just a bit of creativity and enthusiasm, you can get them excited about eating their greens.
From adding fun toppings and playing around with recipes, there are various methods for getting kids interested in enjoying more greens! In this blog post we’ll offer four easy-to-use strategies for encouraging more vegetable intake!
1) Let Them Choose
Making choosing their vegetables an exciting activity is an effective way to increase their appetite and consumption of them. By giving children more say in selecting their foods, they can express their preferences and tastes more fully. Especially more than when someone else decided what they ate for them.
Plus, children are more likely to eat anything they had some part in selecting themselves! Make it an activity by taking your child shopping for different fruits or veggies at the supermarket. Discuss why each one was selected by them!
Your other option is to allow your child to create his or her own vegetable garden. Doing this can be a highly rewarding experience for kids. it will teach them where food comes from. It also teaches the importance of taking care of the environment. Plus, seeing this process unfold from start to finish will excite kids about trying what they have grown themselves!
Finally, don’t forget that children learn best when they have fun. Find creative ways to make the process of choosing and eating veggies enjoyable.
For example, playing “Veggie Bingo” or creating funny faces on plates with different types of vegetables. With a little bit of imagination and effort, you can make eating more vegetables something your kids actually look forward to!
2) Get Creative with Recipes
When it comes to getting your kids to eat more vegetables, you need to get creative! Try making dishes that combine oven roasted baby carrots and other kid-friendly ingredients. Include foods such as cheese, pasta, or even fruit.
You could also try experimenting with different cooking methods like roasting, stir-frying, or pureeing. This is a great way for children to become familiar with different flavors and textures of vegetables.
Another fun idea is to make “vegetable pizza”. Just top a premade whole wheat crust with lots of colorful veggies such as spinach, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions. The combination of colors makes the pizza look attractive (and tasty!) and will also get your child excited about trying new vegetables.
3) Add Colorful Toppings
Add colorful toppings to vegetables as a simple way to make them more appealing and engaging for kids. Shredded cheese, dried fruit, nuts or seeds can add both texture and flavor. This helps children consume more greens without even realizing it!
Making toppings more exciting can also involve using flavorful oils and sauces. Marinara sauce or olive oil infused with herbs like oregano and basil can add depth and complexity to virtually any dish.
You could create your own vinaigrette by mixing balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, garlic cloves and various herbs into one vinaigrette recipe. There is so much potential! The possibilities are limitless!
For even more fun with topping ideas, try allowing the kids to create their own “veggie pizzas” by layering different vegetables on a whole wheat tortilla with their favorite toppings. This encourages them to get creative. And it ensures they’re getting plenty of nutrition as well.
4) Make Veggies the Main Course
Making veggies the star of the show is a great way to get your child to eat more of them. You can do this by serving dishes like veggie stir-fries, vegetable soups, roasted root vegetables, or pasta primavera.
Another option to get kids to eat vegetables is to make “veggie burgers”. Just mix together mashed beans, garlic, onions, seasonings and other healthy ingredients and then form into patties before baking or grilling them.
The flavor possibilities are endless! Try adding different herbs and spices like cumin, turmeric, oregano, ginger or chilies to give the burgers an extra kick. Serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce and tomato for a delicious and nutritious meal.
Don’t forget to explain why these options are important for children – like helping them learn about where food comes from, how it grows, or getting them excited about trying new flavors and textures. You could also ask your child which vegetables he or she likes best and then brainstorm ways to incorporate those into healthy meals and snacks. This way, kids have a say in what goes on their plates, making them more likely to actually enjoy it!