Every parent and adult knows that sometimes it’s really difficult to get your kids to eat vegetables. One of Mackenzie’s favorite foods is broccoli and she devours salads. But not every child is the same. Studies show that most children do not get enough nutrition from vegetable sources, and this can cause health problems. Since childhood is the time to teach good eating habits that will last a lifetime, today’s guest post explores a few ways to encourage children to eat their veggies…and help you save your sanity.
Don’t Be Negative
Do not present vegetables as something negative. Since kids often pick up the attitudes of adults, be a good role model. Always serve vegetable dishes at mealtime and let your children see that you enjoy them. Don’t make eating vegetables a major issue by demanding that kids eat them, but also don’t expect your child to eat anything you or your spouse won’t eat. Children often need to be exposed to a food several times before they are willing to taste it.
Have Your Kids Take an Active Role
Kids are more likely to try new foods if they take an active role in choosing and preparing them. If you have a young child, allow him or her to choose between two or three different vegetables for dinner. Make preparing and eating vegetables a fun game by letting kids help with such tasks as scraping carrots, tearing lettuce or pulling broccoli apart. You can also help your children to use a cookie cutter to cut vegetables into fun shapes. Older children can select recipes or plan an entire meal to cook, under your guidance. If you need new food and kitchen supplies this holiday season, or want to purchase a gift for the chef in your family, check out Instawares for all the name brands at low prices.
Try Soup First
Some methods of preparing vegetables encourage a child’s creativity. Vegetable soup recipes are easy to make up as you go along. Start with canned tomatoes and water or broth, and let the kids choose the vegetables for the soup. Each child can take a turn in emptying a can of vegetables into the mix. Another similar idea is to get a juicer and let children choose the vegetables to juice and then run them through the juicer. What child wouldn’t at least try something that he or she has prepared?
Mixing vegetables in with other foods can help to provide children with vegetable nutrients and also get them more accustomed to the taste of vegetables. For example, mix carrots or bell pepper into spaghetti sauce or make a casserole that has vegetables inside.
Grow Your Own Food
Helping children to grow their own food is an excellent way to encourage them to eat more vegetables. You can celebrate when the vegetables are ready to harvest and prepare them together. Or eat them right out of the ground (after rinsing of course.)
Another way to encourage children are to read age appropriate books about vegetables or set up a game where the kids cross vegetables that they have tasted off of the list.
By following these tips, you can shape your child’s lifetime habits. Children will eat vegetables if doing so is a positive experience. Involve children in growing, selecting, and preparing healthy meals and present them with an opportunity make choices of their own.
What sorts of things do you to do encourage your kids to eat more vegetables?
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