One of the hardest things parents find is getting their children to eat more vegetables. You have all of the best intentions when you begin weaning your baby. You offer different fruits and vegetables and lots of yummy home-cooked foods, but as they get older they become more aware of their opportunity to make decisions, and in some cases, start refusing foods or having the willingness to try new things. This can be so frustrating for parents. However, if you have a spirited child who is no longer wanting to embrace good foods then here are some of the ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables.
Hidden veg sauces and meals
It feels somewhat deceptive to hide vegetables in meals but this is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your child is getting all of the goodness and variety they need from their diet without the confrontation. All you need is a blender and you are good to go. You can easily do this with a tomato-based sauce and meal. Creating your own tomato sauce gives you the chance to cook down any vegetables you might have in the fridge, such as courgette, peppers, leeks, spinach, onions, etc. Starting with tomatoes with the other vegetables you can roast or cook them on the hob in some stock and then once cooked, blend them all together to create a rich tomato sauce. Add this sauce to pasta or as a base for other popular dishes such as spaghetti bolognese or lasagna. You can also adapt the same method to other sauces such as a white or cheese sauce. Vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, and butternut squash go great with these and they can then be used in pasta bakes.
Vegetable challenges
Challenging your child might also work well to encourage them to try new things. If your child is a fan of the “I’m a celebrity” tv programme, you could create your own bushtucker trial where they have to try new vegetables and fruits. It could be seen as a game but might widen their pallet and taste buds to have different fruits and vegetables offered up at mealtimes in the future. You could also challenge them to try one new thing each week. Even letting them choose which vegetable would be in the supermarket.
Get them involved in cooking
If you have a child that is keen to get involved in things then having them help you prepare meals can massively encourage them to try the food they have created. During the process of cooking, they can learn about where different vegetables come from, try them raw and cooked, and also be more accepting of what they are being served as they had a hand in preparing the meal. You might be surprised at how effective this will be.
Grow your own
Finally, having your own vegetable patch in the garden and getting your children to help you grow the vegetables, alongside cooking them which we have previously mentioned, can also encourage them to eat more vegetables and a varied diet. They feel part of the process and also will feel a sense of achievement when something is grown and is ready to cook.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to get your kids to eat more vegetables.
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