How to get your kids to eat more vegetables? Probably one of the most important and difficult questions for many moms.
According to my personal experience, it could be a huge obstacle and a fun game when you overcome the first refusal.
As a mom of two years old, I have been trying a lot of techniques only to make him eat more vegetables. Here is a piece of personal advice from me- don’t panic if your little one refuses to eat vegetables from the beginning.
Sometimes moms get a little bit more frustrated and expect good results only because some of their friends achieved it on the first try.
You know that the kids perceive the food with their eyes. That is why children’s cutlery and plates are in different shapes and colors- to attract their attention. To make them play and to want to try out the food.
Many studies are proving that children are more eager to eat vegetables if they are offered in different shapes, not in their natural one.
Stars, circles, and cartoon experiments for more crafted moms will crown you with a success.
Introduce Vegetables As Early As Possible
You remember all the diet advice while you were pregnant, don’t you?
But do you know that children’s taste preferences are formed while they are in the womb? That’s why including more vegetables in your diet during pregnancy will be a plus later on when it comes time for food introduction.
It is the same with breastfeeding. It is proven that breastfeeding moms consuming more vegetables and including more variety of foods introduce more flavors to their child with the milk. And how the baby gets familiar with many of the tastes in the very beginning.
Another great way for early veggie introduction is baby-lead weaning- a method that is quite popular recently. Instead to offer the baby vegetables and traditional carrot baby food as a puree you can try to offer her easy-to-gnaw bites of food.
This method shows really good results since the baby is trying different flavors and different textures of the food and this make her more curious about food and flavors in the future.
And a really important add- be a role model. You can not expect your kid to eat more vegetables while you don’t eat them.
How To Serve Vegetables To Kids
Serving veggies simply chopped is not the way your kids will fall in love.
A study has shown that children are more eager to eat them if you introduce them to a bowl of veggie stars, sticks, or another interesting shape. So, be creative, there are so many kitchen tools to show your carving skills and most importantly to have fun together with your little one.
Serving veggie sticks and peanut is something that your kids will love and it is a great breakfast idea.
Use the veggies to create your own piece of art and make your kids ‘draw” their own pictures.
Add cartoon elements to the kid’s dishes. A study showed an interesting fact. If you introduce a vegetable and a sweet treat, 4 of 5 kids will choose the sweet treat. But if you add a cartoon character to the vegetable and introduce it again it is as preferable as much as the sweet treat.
Kid-Friendly Cooking Techniques
Experiment with new interesting recipes with hidden vegetables. There are plenty of ideas for carrot or zucchini cakes, muffins, and bread. So try it on and do not give up!
Add more vegetables to a food dressing or sauce. This is the simplest and fastest way to include more vegetables on the menu.
Try to cook the vegetables in the way they will like them- as chips or breaded bites.
Hide them into their favorite dishes into small chops. It is a smart idea to add them into really tiny and small pieces into the main courses. Pizzas, burgers, and ground meats are perfect for this idea.
Include international cuisine recipes and you will be amazed at how they will affect your family’s taste.
Make Fun In The Kitchen
The kids love to spend time in the kitchen. They just adore checking the drawers and cabinets where they can discover such treasures. Involving them in the cooking process and taking them to the store with you is a great way to increase their interest in the food in general.
Make the shopping time a fun game as letting them pick a vegetable they have never tried or seen before each time when you shop. You will be amazed by how many different veggies will try for a month.
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