It’s no secret. Some children down-right refuse to eat vegetables. My oldest will eat raw carrots one day, but the very next day they are “yucky”. My daughter loves all vegetables except for tomatoes. If your kids refuse to eat vegetables, there is hope! Keep reading to learn a few creative ways to get kids to eat vegetables.
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Make a Smoothie
There are literally thousands of yummy smoothie recipes floating around the Internet. Recent studies indicate that young kids (ages 3 to 5) typically consume twice as many vegetables when pureed in a smoothie. Spinach, kale, beets, pumpkin, and avocados are all great smoothie choices. Throw in fruit and a bit of liquid and you’re good to go! My kids always ask for seconds when I make smoothies and I love that they’re drinking kale!
Related: 20 Kid-Friendly Smoothie Recipes with Vegetables
Add Toppings
By adding toppings to the veggies you serve, there’s a good chance you’ll “butter up” your kids enough so that they’ll eat them. Vegetables like broccoli and kale have a tendency to be bitter. Since butter helps to mask the bitter taste, adding butter just might do the trick. Use about one tablespoon for a half a cup of vegetables. My mom got me to start eating broccoli by putting melted cheese on top. Brussel sprouts are so good with bacon. Adding toppings is a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables!
Hide Veggies in Other Foods
One of my tried and true ways to get my picky kids to eat vegetables is to hide them in other foods. Pureed zucchini can be hidden in marinara sauce or gravies. You can use veggies as pizza toppings. While this isn’t a long-term solution, it’s a great way to help!
Related: Turkey Zucchini Casserole Recipe
Serve a Dip
It’s easy to make a homemade dip, using yogurt as a base. Kids who normally won’t touch raw vegetables might be tempted to try if they have the option to dip them. Cut up a variety of veggies and serve them on a tray with two or three different kinds of dip. You may be surprised by the results! Duke, my oldest, likes to dip carrots in mustard. It sounds gross to me, but if he’s eating them…
Try to “One Bite” Rule
Are there foods you like now that you hated the first time you tried them? Kids are the same way. In fact, it can take as many as 10 times of trying something before they like it. That being said, give the “one bite” rule a shot. Require them to take a least one bite of everything on their plate. Who knows… the fifth or sixth time might be the charm! Get them to channel their inner Daniel Tiger, “You gotta try new foods because they might taste good…”
Hopefully, after trying these tips, your kids won’t mind eating more vegetables. Remember, for many children, it’s a matter of an acquired taste. As they get older, they start to like foods that they once considered “yucky.” In this case, patience really is a virtue.
