Published : Oct 22, 2018
How to Get Kids to Eat More Vegetables Without Tricks
Getting your kids to eat more vegetables can be quite tricky. Because of this, many parents resort to tricks to make sure their little ones consume the right amount of veggies on a daily basis. Their techniques include adding vegetables to smoothies, mixing them with other child growth products, and hiding them in dishes that their children already love.
These strategies are certainly effective in getting your kids to eat vegetables. But veggies don’t deserve to be hidden in dishes all the time. With their diversity in taste and texture and the nutrients they provide, they need to be the star of various dishes from time to time.
Getting Kids to Like Vegetables Naturally
If you want your little ones to eat more vegetables without sneaking them into the dishes and snacks you serve, here are some useful tips to follow:
- Take advantage of your kids’ hunger.
Kids arrive home after school feeling really hungry. Chances are, they’ll eat anything they are given. As such, have a bowl of fresh or boiled veggies ready to serve instead of their usual snacks. You can get them to eat more vegetables if you pair them with one or two dips for added flavor so that they won’t get bored with the taste.
If you plan on serving a vegetarian dish or meal for dinner, don’t give your children something filling during snack time. This way, they’ll also be really hungry during dinner, and even if they don’t like the dish you prepared, they will eat it. Just make sure there are other dishes they can choose from and don’t be a short order cook.
- Stock vegetables in your kitchen and fridge instead of the usual snacks and treats.
Whether you know it or not, kids always search the fridge, pantry, cupboards and other places where you keep food for something to eat. To help them eat more nutritious foods, store only healthy ones, especially vegetables.
Keep an assortment of fresh and cooked veggies which they can munch on when they want to snack on something. Baked carrots, kale chips, and sweet potatoes are healthy snacks you can easily make at home. Giving them as snacks can also give you the assurance that they are eating enough vegetables.
- Include vegetables in all meals.
When you include a vegetable salad, soup, or stew every meal, your kids will learn to expect and eventually accept them as staple fares during meal times. As such, they will eat their veggies and continue to do so in the short and long run.
You can also add some vegetables to the snack or lunch you pack for your kids. By doing so, your kids will know that veggies are not only part of dinner meals but they can also be eaten during other meal times. You get them to eat more vegetables, too.
- Serve veggies in different ways.
Kids can get bored easily with dishes that you repeatedly give them. If you keep doing this, you’ll just give your little ones more reason to dislike eating vegetables.
To avoid this problem, make sure you serve veggies in a variety of ways. Don’t always serve broccoli or cauliflower boiled and with some butter; you can also puree them and serve them with meat or chicken. The bottom line is, aside from serving veggies fresh or boiled, you can add them to stews or soups. You can also bake or roast them to give them new flavors and textures.
- Let them help with preparing and cooking the dishes.
Children tend to have a better appetite when they are involved in the meal preparation process. As such, ask them what vegetables they would like to have for snacks or meals and how they should be prepared or cooked. Get their opinions on a vegan recipe for picky eaters you would like to try as well to make sure they would eat the dish.
Aside from getting their inputs, get them to help you with preparing the dish, too. Give them a small area where they can work with kid-safe utensils. Let them remove the peels, slice or dice the vegetables.
Once you start cooking, let them taste the dish from time to time and ask them if it needs more flavor or other ingredients. Come mealtime, they’ll be interested to taste the dish they helped prepare and cook. And you’ll have a less difficult time getting them to eat more veggies.
- Be a role model.
If you want your little ones to eat more vegetables, be a role model. When your kids see you eating veggies all the time and enjoying every bite you take, they will follow suit. Your children naturally look up to you and even if they may dislike vegetables, they will still eat them and even learn to consume more because of your good example.
You don’t always have to resort to hiding vegetables in dishes or covering them with a lot of seasonings to get kids to eat them. Be consistent and patient and in due time, your kids will learn to savor the natural goodness and health benefits of veggies and even start eating more of them.