by Nikki King

Created on: July 30, 2010

Kids are constantly bombarded by sweets and overly processed foods, so getting them to eat vegetables instead of the junk food can turn mealtime into frustrated and stressful events. Here are a few ideas to make the addition a little easier and more fun.

Introduce vegetables into old favorites, like mushrooms or onions on pizza. Celery, onions, peppers, carrots, and zucchini can all be pureed and added to salsa or spaghetti sauce. Zucchini bread or carrot muffins are also delicious options. 

Most kids like the novelty of dipping, so offer a variety of dips with raw vegetables. Carrots with hummus, cucumbers with ranch dressing, broccoli or cauliflower with cheese, squash or zucchini with vinaigrette, and celery with peanut butter are good matches.

Texture often plays as much of a role as taste when it comes to foods your children like or don’t like. They will eat certain vegetables raw and others they will prefer cooked. Some kids enjoy vegetables barely steamed so there is still a crunch and others prefer well-cooked vegetables that are a little mushy. If they will not eat a certain vegetable, change how you fix it next time. Adding butter, a cheese sauce, or a honey glaze can work wonders as well.

Kids are more likely to eat something if they have had a hand in it. This could be growing the food, cooking it, or playing with it. They can pick 1 or 2 vegetables to grow on their own in containers, with the responsibility of weeding, watering, and harvesting. Also, find jobs in the kitchen that your kids can help out with, such as washing and peeling produce, mixing ingredients, or assembling the finished products (like casseroles or burritos). As an added bonus, this also becomes good quality time while you all fix dinner together. As for playing with the food, let your children’s creativity show by seeing who can make the craziest vegetable face for snacktime. Imagine sliced grape tomatoes for eyes, matchstick carrots as spiky hair, curved strips of red bell pepper for the mouth, and sliced squash as the outline of the face. Add some salad dressing for dipping, and watch them devour their creations. You can also practice spelling by cutting vegetables into slices and rounds and forming letters with the pieces. Shaped vegetables are fun, too. Small cookie cutters can be used on slices of larger vegetables, like roasted heart-shaped eggplant or grilled squash stars.

Some kids benefit from changing the names of vegetables. It can be whimsical names like “bean balls” in place of peas or the name can focus on a benefit of the food. Consider x-ray vision sticks instead of plain old carrots. Also, avoid preparing your kids for a bad flavor with comments like “I know you don’t like it, but taste just one bite.” Instead, focus on the benefits and remain upbeat with comments like “I noticed you tried spinach tonight. You’re going to grow up to be just as strong as Popeye!”

Most importantly, be a good example for your children to follow. It will be much harder to convince them to eat vegetables if they do not see you eating them as well. Plan your menus as a family to have at least one thing at each meal that your children will like, and ask questions after the meal to see what foods they liked in particular or what they would like you to change next time.

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