My daughter is the queen of not eating her veggies. She probably gets it from her daddy though...he HATES vegetables. If it was grown in the dirt, chances are he will not touch it with a ten foot pole.
Anyways, when I wrack my brain about how to get my children to eat veggies, here are ten tips that I can give to you about things I have done.
#1. BE the Example
As I have said, my hubby does not eat his veggies. He is the type of person who thinks candy corn and jelly beans are vegetables. So, when it comes to getting Hannah to eat veggies, I have a battle...mainly because daddy doesn't. I find that if she sees me eating them, she will be more likely to try them herself.
#2. Cheese Sauce is a MIRACLE
Take some Velveeta cheese or another type of heatable cheese and melt it down. Then, pour either in a puddle or on the veggies themselves. This should encourage a bit more consumption of vegetables because what kid does NOT love cheese???
#3. Cook Them Differently
Have you ever tried grilled vegetables? Put them on skewers with chunks of meat and see what happens! Grilled veggies are amazing. Or, try roasting some in the oven and then sprinkling mozzarella cheese over the top. YUM!
#4. Switch It Up
If your child won't eat a certain type of vegetable, try a different one. Did you know that Tomatoes are not veggies but fruits??? Good to know...especially if you have a non-fruit eater in the house who loves tomatoes. Maybe your child just needs a different type of veggie to get their appetite curved towards the green and leafy!
#5. Make Up A Song About Them
I know, sounds corny. (No pun intended). Silly songs can really help to make undesirable things more desirable.
#6. Blend Them Up
When my husband goes to my moms house for dinner and my mom is making a chunky spaghetti sauce, she blends up the sauce so the chunks are gone. This makes the sauce smooth while it is chock full of yummy veggies! (But don't tell him that!!)
#7. Use Food Coloring
Yes, my husband would only eat scrambled eggs as a child if they were colored green. Green eggs and ham...that was him! So, try using a bit of food coloring and experiment. See what happens. :)
#7. Make Fun Shapes
You know you can make food fun...and this is the perfect time to be creative. Try making faces out of veggies and arranging them on a plate to look like a smiley face.
#8. Read Books About Veggies
There are tons of books out there for children that address this problem of kiddos not eating vegetables. So, go to your local library and see if they have any books that make veggie-eating fun!
#9. Hide Them In Chocolate
Well, I know of one veggie that you can hide in chocolate. Ever heard of chocolate zucchini bread? Good stuff! So, you can hide loads of vitamins in zucchini bread by turning it into chocolate zucchini bread!
#10. Don't Expect Them To Change Overnight
Kids need time to adjust to a new food. So, don't expect changes immediately. Unless it is a really YUMMY vegetable, just plan on it taking a few days...or weeks.
So, there you have it! My ten suggestions on how to get your child to eat veggies. How about you? Do you have any ideas or things that you have done that have made your child a veggie lover? I would love to hear them!
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My husband has tried to convince me that French fries are a vegetable. He cannot stand them. The only one he'll eat is corn.
ReplyDeleteI think being the example and cooking them differently make the biggest differences! Some veggies I only eat when served a certain way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips! My son is so not a veggie eater. The only way he'll eat them is in those veggie puree yogurts and whenever I make meatballs,I'll add minced veggies into the mix so he cant see them. other than that, I always try to serve veggies with his meals even if he doesn't eat them. Hopefully by seeing them everyday he'll one day give in.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky enough to have two kids who love veggies! But thanks for the tips :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tips!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with #1. My boys loved veggies until they realized their father never ate any! *sigh* Thankfully they eat lots of fruits. Those are great hints for little ones.
ReplyDelete-Catherine
But what about feeding them vegetables as babies, when they just begin to eat mashed foods? If they start out on vegetables, they will think they are normal. If you start speaking to them early about vegetables by naming them and having the child repeat you as part of early feeding.
ReplyDeleteBut I still think, start them on vegetables and don't stop. They'll think it's a natural part of life!