Thank You to: Mary Silva, M.S., R.D.
Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you and many parents earnestly strive to ensure that their children eat them everyday--sometimes with little success. In light of this all-too-common challenge, parents often ask for tips to get their children to eat more vegetables.
A good attitude and a little creativity are key
Perhaps the
most important factor to consider is your own attitude and approach toward
eating in general. Avoid forcing your child to eat vegetables--or any
other food for that matter. Encourage your child to try a spoonful, but don't
get upset if she refuses it. Eventually, she will try it, so keep reintroducing
various foods from time to time. And remember that even young children can learn
why nutrition is important; you can simply say: "They taste good and make you
healthy, big, and strong."
Some other tricks of the trade:
Add vegetables to
store-bought foods or to those you already prepare (some suggestions are listed
in the next section).
Set out a plate of raw vegetables or a salad of cold, cooked
vegetables before the meal--the time when your child is hungriest.
Keep a bowl of cherry tomatoes or baby carrots in the
refrigerator for a quick and handy snack. (Of course, you'll want to take into
account the fact that these foods can be potential choking hazards for toddlers
and preschoolers.)
Serve raw or lightly steamed vegetables with salad dressing
or cheese sauce for dipping.
Make mashed sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, since
sweet potatoes contain lots of vitamin A.
Let your child make her own taco with shredded lettuce,
tomato, ground turkey and a little cheese.
Serve foods with tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes
often.
Try not to overcook vegetables to preserve their taste,
bright appearance, and valuable vitamins.
Help make your child familiar with vegetables; serve them
everyday.
Prepare meals together (e.g., younger children can
wash and older ones can chop vegetables for stir-fry dishes and
salads).
Let your child help choose fresh vegetables when you're
shopping.
Plant a vegetable garden with your child or even just put a
small cherry tomato plant in a pot in a sunny spot in the yard.
Most important, set a good example. Remember that
your actions will speak louder than words. Besides, parents need their veggies,
too!
Helpful additions
If your child turns up his nose at a lot of
vegetables, try slipping them into her food by:
Making muffins with your
child and adding pumpkin, zucchini, or shredded carrots to the muffin
mix.
Tucking in a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, or carrot curls
into sandwiches.
Adding chopped spinach or a handful of frozen vegetables to
soups, ramen noodles, spaghetti sauce, or lasagna.
Adding chopped tomato or grated carrots to tuna, chicken, or
pasta salads.
Cooking frozen mixed vegetables according to the directions
and then adding them to store-bought potato salad.
Making pizza with your child and adding chopped broccoli or
spinach to frozen pizza or frozen bread dough topped with tomato
sauce.
Adding chopped broccoli or extra carrots to canned or dried
chicken soup.
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