How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

Posted on February 18th, 2009 by Elaine

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“Icky”, tasteless vegetables for dinner is a mom’s most difficult obstacle and a child’s worst nightmare. Even if they’re very tasty, most kids would refuse to take a bite. If this is one major problem you always encounter with your child, don’t fret: here are ways on how to get your kids to eat vegetables.

What You’ll Need:

Vegetables
Other healthy food items
Small rewards
A dash of creativity
A lot of patience

What To Do:

Start early. Even if the children are still in their toddler years, offer various vegetables to them. When they grow up, they’ll be so accustomed to the taste, it won’t be hard to convince them to eat veggies.

eating veggies

Set a good example. If they don’t see you eating it, they certainly won’t budge either. Always show your children you’re eating your veggies, and enjoying them. The more they see you like the food, the more enticed they’ll be to try them. Encourage your spouse to eat veggies too, as well as your older kids.
Keep it in plain view. Don’t hide your veggies in the deepest, darkest corner of your fridge. You should keep them in plain sight, so the kids can be more familiar with them. Prepare vegetable snacks, like celery sticks, baby carrots and sliced sweet peppers, and leave them where your children can easily reach for them. It’s also a good tactic, because if your kids are hungry, they will grab the first edible thing they see, which is the veggies. During dinnertime, you should also serve the vegetables first.
Compromise. Pair the “icky” veggie with something your kids will enjoy. For example, if they hate plain broccoli, sprinkle grated cheese on top. Let them add ketchup to his potatoes. If they’re eating carrot or celery sticks, prepare a yummy dressing or dip to enhance the taste.
Experiment with new dishes. “Camouflage” the veggies by adding them to dishes that kids love. You’ll be surprised at the wide variety of food and dishes available today which you can mix with different kinds of vegetables. Pastas, soups, chili, omelets and casserole are good examples. You can even prepare unique dishes, like carrot beef meatballs and zucchini cookies and muffins.
Offer a reward. Kids love getting gifts and surprises. Encourage them to develop a liking for vegetables by giving them “points” for dinners that they ate vegetables. Put up a calendar, and mark the days they ate their veggies with stars. If they complete the stars, present them with a special gift as a fun reward.
Have a vegetable garden. Your kids will appreciate vegetable more if they see them growing. Put up a small veggie garden in your backyard, and ask your kids to help you tend to it. Start with simple cherry tomatoes or radishes. If you don’t have enough space for a garden, use terra cotta pots, and put them on your sunny balcony. Not only will this make children eat their veggies, but it’s also a fun bonding activity.
Make it fun for them. Prepare a simple game to entice kids to eat the vegetables. You can also cut out the veggies in different shapes, to make them look more exciting to eat.

Lastly, always guide your kids through this phase. Don’t give up on them, because as soon as the kids realize veggies are yummy and healthy, they’ll be munching on them with much gusto!