Vegetables are a crucial part of a healthy and balanced diet, providing essential nutrients and fiber that support growth. But getting kids to eat them can be challenging for many parents. A survey shows that nearly half of the parents can’t get their kids to eat vegetables. And that’s a problem as most kids risk obesity, constipation, infections, and poor development if they don’t eat enough vegetables.
So, what can you do if your child refuses to eat theirs? Here are four clever ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables, ensuring they receive all the nutrients they need for optimal health.
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Let them help you with the shopping and cooking
Try getting your kids to go shopping with you at the grocery store, and be sure to spend more time in the vegetables and produce section. Doing this as often as possible will make your kids more comfortable with this food group. For example, instead of picking the vegetables yourself, point your kids in the right direction, and ask them to pick the ones they want. While doing so, tell them the names of whatever they pick and how good they taste.
If you can’t get your kids to go grocery shopping with you, let them pick the vegetables they want from a catalog at home. You can also get them involved in unpacking the groceries and meal preparation. Their continuous involvement will build their interest and encourage them to taste the veggies.
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Try vegetable juice and blended smoothies
If your kids just don’t like the texture of some vegetables, you can consider blending them and serving them vegetable smoothies. They can drink them as after-meal snacks in place of unhealthy drinks. But it’s best to start with vegetables like spinach, kale, collard greens, and chard, as they have a milder taste. You can add some fruits to make the taste sweeter and neutralize bitterness.
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Opt for delicious vegetable-based meals
The last thing you want to do is serve bland, cooked peas, carrots, or cabbage at dinner. Regardless of how well you garnish them, kids who hate vegetables will still not have the urge to try them. A better option is to prepare delicious vegetable-based meals with ingredients your kids love. For example, if they love ground beef in burgers, try preparing crock pot cabbage rolls. They’ll love sinking their teeth into the mixture of ground meat, rice, and tomato sauce, even though it’s wrapped in cabbage.
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Continue to introduce and reintroduce vegetables
It’s easy to get discouraged if your kids refuse to eat a vegetable after offering it so many times. But if you continue offering it to them, there’s a good chance they’ll eventually try it. Of course, you can also find ways to make a vegetable more appealing to your child to make them want to try it. For example, consider adding a sauce, dip, or dressing to enhance the taste. You can also consider how your kids want their veggies. For example, some children prefer fresh, crunchy vegetables to soft, cooked ones. If your kids want their vegetables done a certain way, stick to that.