Vegetables are an important part of your diet but getting kids and even older picky eaters to eat their vegetables can be a big challenge. The good news is that there are some crafty ways you can help to encourage your kids to eat more vegetables.
Try serving them different ways
Getting creative with how you serve your vegetables can go a long way in getting your kids to eat them. Try making a fun picture on your vegetable trays. This can make eating vegetables fun and exciting.
Try cooking your vegetables differently or not cooking them at all. Sometimes what turns kids off from vegetables is the texture. A lot of vegetables are great when they are crisp and crunchy but a lot less fun when you take away that crunch by cooking. Instead try adding dips, dressings, and even peanut butter to add flavor to fresh crisp vegetables.
Tell a little fib. When it comes to getting little kids to try new things it can be easy to convince them with a little fib like telling them broccoli (a flower) is tiny trees they can munch. This makes vegetables sound so much more fun.
There are many great recipes and even some cookbooks dedicated to ways you can hide vegetables in your food. While you may not want to completely hide the fact your child is eating vegetables as it can hold them back from realizing how much they do like them you can easily use these recipes to make vegetables more appealing.
Adding vegetables to things like smoothies is a great way to encourage your child to try and become accustomed to new vegetables while enjoying something they already love. This is where adding things like spinach, avocado, or even carrots can be easy and a great way to get your child to see how great vegetables can be so they are more willing to try them.
Add plenty of veggies to your snacks.
When kids sit down to a meal that has a lot of options beyond their vegetables it can be easy for them to choose to eat other things that are available. When you offer vegetables as snacks when you are not offering a wide variety of other things your child is more likely to eat the vegetables they are offered.
Have your child help grow them
One great way to get your child to willingly eat more vegetables is to get them excited about it. Start a garden with your child that can make them proud to eat what they grew themselves. Give your child the opportunity to choose a few unique vegetables to add to your meals to help get them excited to try something new.
One thing parents do not think about when it comes to getting kids to eat their vegetables. Take the time to make sure your kids see you eating vegetables and salads. Try eating your vegetables first when eating with your child to set an example.
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