Getting Kids to eat their Veggies!
For many Moms, getting your child to eat a nutritious meal can result in mealtime battles! These battles can become exhausting and overwhelming oftentimes resulting in a child refusing to eat, and mom throwing in the towel and catering to the child's food desires by giving them what they want instead of what was served. While this may be the easier thing to do in the short term, it is something that you will regret in the long term. Establishing healthy eating habits takes work and time but is ultimately worth it! The habits that you allow to be created now are ones that your child will carry with them as they grow. It is truly the responsibility of the parents to set a child up for years of successful healthy eating habits, and it is well worth the effort!
Consistency is Key!
Chances are likely that you introduced vegetables to your baby when they first started on solids between the ages of 4 and 6 months old. Whether you made your own baby food or purchased it, it is usually introduced even before fruits. The reasoning for this is so that a baby does not become so used to the sweet flavors of fruit that they turn down the less sweet more savory flavors of veggies. You have at this point already introduced veggies into your child's diet, so keep it up as they grow into toddlers and preschoolers! Your child no doubt had some favorite flavors as a baby as well as some that they just did not enjoy. The same will ring true for your child (and all of us!) as they grow. While they will love the flavor and textures of some vegetables , others they will not be a fan of. Keep track of the favorite veggies your child had as a baby and consider fresh ways that you can serve these veggies now. Some veggies that are popular with kids include Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, and Corn. Serve veggies with lunch and dinner every day, and consider including veggies with some snacks. For example sliced carrots with a side of ranch to dip can be appealing for little taste buds. Sugar Snap peas with a side of hummus, sliced cucumber, and even old fashioned ants on a log (celery topped with peanut butter and raisins) are often great options for children to snack on. Get creative with how you cook and serve veggies. Roasting them can bring out flavors that many children enjoy as does grilling your veggies. Consider offering salad as well, children need their leafy greens and this can be a great way to get them in for those that enjoy salad. Keep it simple and light to start with basic veggies, throw some butter lettuce in for a more rich savory flavor, and allow your child to participate in choosing toppings and add ons. For example you may discover that your child loves chickpeas on their salad, or perhaps hard boiled egg sliced on top. If you prefer to make homemade dressing it can be fun to include your child in the process of making it. Allowing your child to participate in the meal prep as much as possible can have them more excited about the end result and eating it. If you garden, growing your own veggies and gathering them as a family can be a great way to show how much fun veggies can be!
Don't Give in!
I am a firm believer in serving a meal on one plate as opposed to giving children one item at a time. The sooner you can get them used to eating a meal off of a plate, the better! The reality is that this is how food will be served when dining out or when visiting a friend or family member's house. If you are having trouble serving up just the right portion sizes, or you have a child that does not like when their foods touch each other, consider purchasing the children's plates that come with little dividers. You will have a nice place to put their main dish, their fruit, and their veggies on an easy to serve plate without the foods mingling together. As much as possible, keep your child's favorite veggies as part of their meal several times a week. For example, if your child has three favorite veggies, try to rotate and serve those on a regular basis while offering a new or different vegetable on other days. It is a great idea to let your child choose their veggie at some meals, while at other meals you simply serve. If you are making a dinner of Grilled Chicken, fresh pineapple, and roasted veggies, then this is what you serve your child as well. The roasted veggies may not be their favorite veggie choice, but some nights it is someone else in the family that gets to choose (including mom!) Short of an allergy or food intolerance, your child should be expected to eat the family meal.....period. Once you begin catering to them by making a separate dish of their choice it can go downhill very quickly as you lose control over meal time. You are not a short order cook, you are mom, and you know what is best for your family! This goes beyond just veggies! The family meal should be the family meal. If mom and dad are eating steak and broccoli, then the children should be eating steak and broccoli. Oftentimes parents will throw in chicken nuggets and tater tots for the kiddos to keep it "easy" but this is a dangerous trap to fall into. Save those quick and easy kids meals for a simple Friday night, or a night that you are doing leftovers and dinner is a little more laid back as far as choices go. Pizza nights are great now and then and especially simple if you are heading out for date night and having a sitter come. There is absolutely a place for fun treat meals! The key is keeping them as treats, not the everyday diet.
Sneak Veggies in where you can!
I am not a fan of sneaking veggies in as the main way of serving , however, it is a great additional way to fit veggies into your child’s diet. While it can be helpful at times to disguise them by cooking them into a baked treat, it does not serve your child well in the long run to ONLY do this. The diet that you consistently feed your child as they grow paves the way for the one that they will continue on when they are old enough to make their own choices. You are truly setting them up for a life long healthy relationship with food by feeding them a balanced and nutritious diet. If you only give your child greens hidden in brownies, the obvious choice becomes brownies rather than a fresh salad as your child becomes a young adult. Hiding veggies in this way is a great addition to their diet, especially if you are struggling with a picky eater, but it should be just an addition not their main source of getting veggies. There are some great ways to "hide" veggies in day to day life. One of my personal favorites is smoothies! When you make smoothies at home as opposed to buying them at a smoothie shop, you really get the opportunity to make them actually healthy and satisfying rather than being full of sugar and added ingredients. You can easily sneak leafy greens into your child's smoothie without changing the taste. For example, if your child loves a banana and strawberry smoothie, throwing in a handful of baby spinach will not alter the flavor but will give them all of the benefits. Blending fruits and veggies really brings out the nutritional value and is a great way to serve them to your little one. Smoothies can be a great option for breakfast, or a midday snack! Another great way to sneak veggies in is by cooking them into savory dinner dishes. When the tastes and textures are more than just a bite of veggies, it can be very appealing to young taste buds. Get creative and find some dishes using your child's favorite protein source and build unique and fun dishes from there. The possibilities are truly endless.
Juicing is also another way to get veggies in. Just like with smoothies, mixing veggies with fruits in juicing can really sweeten up the deal and make it more of a treat for your little one. If you prefer to buy juices be sure to read your labels and try to opt for cold pressed juices that do not have added ingredients. Some great flavor combinations are apples with carrots, strawberries with broccoli, and Mango with spinach.
Your Child will not let themselves starve!
This may sound funny, but it is so important for Moms to remember! Children by nature are going to cave in and eat when they are hungry enough! The trap that many parents fall into is thinking that a child is not going to eat if they do not cater to their picky requests and demands. A child will not let themselves starve. This may mean skipping dinner a night or two before they finally give in, but they will give in. If your child is strong willed this may feel like a major battle, but you have got this! A rule of thumb to follow is that if your child does not eat what was served, they do not get anything else. For example, if you serve your child a nice lunch with a side of carrots and they do not eat the carrots, they do not get any snacks later. They can be finished and go about their day, but when snack time comes the carrots are offered again and that is it. The child must eat the carrots before moving onto anything else. The same goes for dinner, if your child pushed their food around on their plate and did not eat it, simply wrap it up for later or for the next day to offer at lunch. Your child should not be offered any after dinner snacks, treats, or desserts after this. If they are hungry they can have their dinner. It may sound harsh, but it works! You must remember that by feeding your child with nutritious meals you ARE taking the best care of them! You know what they need far more than they do. There is no reason to shout or argue, you set the mealtime rules and they follow. Children will push back if they know that they are able to work you into giving them something else. If you cave in you have simply taught them that they do not need to listen to you or eat their healthy meals and veggies. Giving in creates a battle that you will now not easily win. Stay the course, even if your child eats less for a couple of days, they will begin to choose to eat the family meal because they are hungry.
Tips
Include your child in grocery shopping, gardening, and cooking whenever possible.
Serve their favorite veggies often!
Lead by example! Be sure to set the tone for your child by eating a diet that is rich in veggies and nutritious choices, they learn by watching you!
Remember to include fruit choices that are outside of the box, think tomatoes and avocados. Avocados can make smoothies extra creamy while packing a nutritious punch!
Get creative: cooking up some broccoli patties and pairing with a yummy dipping sauce can be great! Make use of pinterest to save favorite recipes and track the ones that your child loves most.
Stay the course! It may feel difficult right now, but before you know it, your child will be eating their veggies with much more ease!
Offer treats! We all need them now and then, if your kiddo has eaten their veggies all week, perhaps Friday night is a great time for a trip to the icecream parlour or to make homemade Sundaes as a family.
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