Getting Kids to Eat More Vegetables

Kids and vegetables are not a common match as many parents would testify. That’s hardly a surprising thing, for many adults too are not enthusiastic when it comes to a plate of vegetables. If it wasn’t for the essential nutrients contained in vegetables, parents would probably not mind if their kids give them a miss, but as nature would have it, they are important sources of important vitamins and minerals and the earlier kids learn to appreciate their vegetables, the better their chances of reaping the nutritional benefits for life.

Many children go through their first picky eating stage around 18 months of age, rendering their parents anxious with worry over the possible effects of their poor appetites.

Even babies whose first solid foods are made up of pureed vegetables might turn the tables on their unsuspecting parents at some point although they seemed to be keen on downing their carrots and peas at first. It’s important though that parents make an effort to keep incorporating vegetables into their children’s daily diet, so as to not lose out on essential nutrients necessary for growth and development.

Most of the time, vegetables are the objects of disgust and little ones seem to reject anything green or vegetable-like. Instead of giving in and hoping that in time, their child will have a change in their food preferences, parents should keep in mind that they can still be in full control of this situation and their kids need not even know that they’re being served nutrition-dense vegetables at mealtimes.

Here’s how you can do this!

Get sneaky

If they won’t eat them, sneak them in, we say. There are so many ways you can sneak all sorts of vegetables into meals and your fussy little diner will not even realise it. Even chunky vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and cucumbers can be incorporated into sauces, breads, pancakes, etc.

One base, many hidden goodies

The trick to successfully sneaking in any number of vegetables into pasta sauces is to hide them in the main base. Tomato based sauces are great for hiding vegetables, provided that they’re blended in well.

Power-packed purees

Purées don’t have to be limited to baby food. They are actually versatile enough to be incorporated into everyday foods of growing children. Vegetable purees can be added into pancake batters, cake and muffin mixes, and of course, soups and stews.

Green leafy vegetables can be pureed with water or formula milk for this purpose. Chunky vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cauliflower and carrots can be cooked (baked, boiled or microwaved) prior to pureeing, after which they can be concealed in almost any sweet or savoury dish. They add delicious flavours and textures to foods, but it’s the nutritional value that keep parents smiling with satisfaction.

Blend them with your child’s favourite food

Does your child love cheese but hate vegetables? You can easily conceal vegetable purees into your child’s favourite dish or mix them cleverly with a favourite ingredient.

Make yummy smoothies!

When kids just won’t eat their vegetables, sneak them into smoothies. With some clever choices of ingredients, you can easily ‘hide’ all traces of certain vegetables and watch in glee as your child happily slurps them up.

Use tasty bases such as soya milk or coconut water. Yogurt and fresh milk also help hide secret ingredients in a smoothie. Include at least two favourite fruits for every one ‘offending’ vegetable you use. For example, if you’re planning to hide a carrot in a smoothie, use oranges and grapes to help overpower the presence of said vegetable.

Let them pick!

Let your child help pick the fruits and greens for the smoothie! This way he or she will be more likely to appreciate and enjoy the finished product.