It has always been tension among parents to feed vegetables to kids. And nowadays, moms are becoming more concerned and worried as there are lots of unhealthy foods available in the markets. Children love to opt for junk foods like burgers, noodles, pizzas more rather than healthy food choices. It becomes exceptionally essential for the moms to take special care of the food their kids are taking. It is also one of a significant cause for the health issues among children. Deficiencies of essential vitamins, minerals, fibers are the leading cause of juvenile diabetes, obesity, and other deficiency diseases among most of the children around the world.
How to Feed Vegetables to your Kids?
How can you help your kids to fancy and motivate towards healthier foods like fruits and vegetable in their diets? Here are a few tips that may help moms to get rid of these problems to some extents:
1. Hide Veggies in their Favorite Food
It is quite common among the children that they dislike eating vegetables and fruits. The easiest way to get rid of the problem is to hide vegetables inside other foods which they like. You can make a pasta sauce which includes most vegetables in it. Seek out ways or learn to make recipes where you can use vegetables in a way which your children love to eat it without creating chaos. Almost all children love noodles. Include as many vegetables as you can to the noodles such as cabbage, bean sprouts, celery, broccoli, and carrots. Stir fry the vegetables nicely and add it to the noodles and mix it. Do not leave veggies too crunchy otherwise; kids may not like it.
2. Involvement in Cooking
Invite your children to participate and help you in meal preparation. Kids are very much interested and enthusiastic about helping out in preparing meals. They feel like they have achieved something, and when the meal is ready, they will show a very keen interest in having their own creation. The same meals become more appealing to them.
3. Don’t Force them to Eat Vegetables all the Time
Do not always force them to eat veggies. If they don’t like, do not create pressure on them directly and make dinner time into a tension time. There are many other ways by which you will able to generate their interests in eating healthy foods.
Educate your kids by teaching them the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Start serving a small amount of vegetables with every meal. Let them learn and adjust every vegetable to their taste buds. Every time you serve vegetables at dinner time will make your kids feel comfortable trying them. In the same way, you should try offering various fruits. Let them know the benefits and what they will gain if they take these fruits. Offer and try different recipes to understand what your kids like the most. Maybe they like smoothies more than eating raw fruits.
4. Set an Example
Make sure that you set a good example for your children. Children learn from their parents and siblings and those who are around them. Whenever you sit at the dinner table together, make sure that your children see you that you are eating vegetables and you liked it. Discuss the benefits of taking each item you prepared in the meals that day. Take your children for shopping in the farmers market or any vegetable market. Let them pick the vegetables they like.
5. Bedtime Stories can do Wonders
During sleep time, bedtime stories can do wonders, narrate some stories which are related to the kids who eat vegetables and is strong enough to do everything efficiently. By this way, you will put all the benefits of having vegetables in their brains. Also, let them know what they will lack if they don’t include vegetables in their diet.
6. Pick Their Favorite Vegetable
If your children love any particular vegetable, let’s say – they love potatoes – potatoes are one of a kind of veggies like by every kid. Prepare recipes, including other green vegetables with potatoes. Most children eat and like potatoes as French fries, roasted potatoes and sometimes mashed potato. To add most green veggies into the diet, you can bake a slice of potatoes with small pieces of green vegetables like broccoli, green beans, celery and others with butter and cheese.
Look at this Easy and Quick Potato Recipe to Feed Vegetables to Kids
In the other way, you can sauté vegetables like red-green bell peppers, celery, and as many veggies as you like for a few minutes in olive oil. Chop it again in the food processor for more small pieces. Bake medium size potatoes in the oven. Cut in halves. Scoop out the baked potatoes out from their skin. Mix the scooped potatoes and chopped vegetables in a mixing bowl. Add some salt, black pepper and cheese. Fill the potato skin again with this mixture and bake it for a few more minutes. Kids will love this dish. Also, invite kids to prepare this dish. You can ask them to help in mixing or scooping potatoes.
7. Vegetable Soups and Juices
Liquids are easy to intake; mostly children love juices and soups, so try to make a routine to give them daily. Most children like fresh and pure vegetable juices, and if you find tough to make it at home, you can grab it in most of the superstores, as it is one of the easiest ways to get them used to with the veggies.
Make it a game thing so that eating vegetables becomes fun time for them. Moms try the above ideas, and I am sure this helps you find more creative ways to have your kids fond of eating vegetables.
Also Read: Here are some benefits that may help you try this transition into a vegetarian diet if you have been thinking of it for a long time.
