Getting Kids to eat more veggies!
Mar 31 2010
Mar 31 2010
Are you one of the many parents that want your children to eat more vegetables, rich in fiber, vitamins, nutrients, minerals, low in calories? Of course you do, but the desire and the reality of meal time can often be two very different things, especially if your kids ideas of vegetable consumption are limited to french fries, ice berg lettuce with fatty dressing and perhaps raw carrots, broccoli and corn.
Expanding your options of green and other colored vegetables takes a little patience, encouragement and a few tricks to try are also helpful.
- get your kids involved in meal preparation whenever possible,even th youngest children can snip fresh herbs with a pair of kid friendly scissors or snap ends off of green beans.
- Start off by cooking and serving vegetables individually instead of mixed together so your children can appreciate the simple flavor, texture of each vegetable.
- Experiment with different, simple cooking techniques, most kids love vegetables raw, lightly steamed and boiled.
- If your child does not like a vegetable prepared in one way, try a different cooking technique, sometimes its all about the texture. A client reported to me that her daughter hated broccoli, but when she tried cooking it a little longer until soft served with butter and a pinch of salt, her daughter ate it all.
- Serve a new vegetable prepared very simple just with a little butter, vegan butter spread or coconut oil and a pinch of salt and then try it again with a small amount of fresh herb added, dill, basil or a few chives.
- Add a small amount of one kind of vegetable added to your kids favorite pasta dish. or to macaroni and cheese dish- always a favorite.
- Go slow and keep it simple, our taste buds need time to adjust to new flavors and appreciate them!
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