Saturday, May 25, 2013
How to get your kids to eat more vegetables???
I've met a few kids in
my time who have never had more vegetables than a carrot stick and, if they had
to guess what an artichoke is, would say it's a karate move. But not my kids,
of course. They eat their vegetables all the time. At least sometimes. I mean,
they all go through phases of pickiness, but when it's all said and done, they
eat almost every vegetable there is.
What's my secret?
Well, I have 10 of them...
1. Serve vegetables
raw. Seriously, have
you ever eaten a raw pea? It's heaven on earth. No need for butter. Kids eat
them like candy. I put a plate of raw cut-up veggies on the dinner table every
night -- yes, carrot sticks, but also sweet red peppers, celery, fresh peas.
Cauliflower and tomatoes.
2. Let kids have dip. It's not the end of the world if they
have a bit of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing on their veggies (in fact, there is
an organic version of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing). It does make a piece of
raw broccoli really much more yummy.
3. Plant a garden. Studies show that kids who grow veggies
themselves will eat almost anything. I've seen it with my own eyes. If you
are growing an organic garden, kids can eat stuff right out of the garden
without rinsing. Unless it's a carrot or potato or something like that (for you
non-gardeners, those veggies grow underground, so they are covered in dirt when
you harvest them).
4. Just add butter. Organic butter, of course, but a little
bit never hurt anyone. And some vegetables, like spinach or kale, need a bit of
oil for their nutrients to be absorbed better into our bodies. Corn on the cob
-- need I say more?
5. Add veggies to
soup. It's amazing
what kids will eat when it's submerged in a savory broth. If you suspect they
won't like something, chop it up till it's really tiny. After a half hour in
the soup, it will magically disappear!
[ Log your
food habits online, and you're more likely to develop healthy eating habits. ]
6. Make a chopped
vegetable salad. Same principle
-- cut up lots of raw veggies into cute little bits, add your family's favorite
dressing (ours is a simple vinaigrette), and even add some toasted nuts, and
you have a really crunchy festival of vegetables.
7. Roast veggies till
they are crispy and golden. Take
cauliflower, for instance -- it's a tough vegetable to love if you're a kid.
But what I do is cut up a head of cauliflower, coat the tiny pieces liberally
with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 350 degrees for about a half
hour and you have little brown bits of deliciousness. You can do the same with
carrots, asparagus, and lots of other good things.
8. Get them to help
you prepare them. I learned this
when I was shelling lima beans one day. Suddenly, kids wanted to help and they
all sat on the counter and helped shell the limas. Funny, but not many ended up
in the pot. Limas are surprisingly good raw.
9. Cover in cheese. After all, kids need calcium too. There
is no harm in having a little bit of melted cheese with your veggies -- especially
ones like broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, and other unusuals.
10. Eat them yourself! Most kids I've met who don't eat their
veggies have parents who don't eat their veggies -- busted! Kids love to copy
what we do, so we must do what is right for them. Turns out it's right for us,
too.
What are your tips and tricks and techniques for getting kids to
eat their vegetables?
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