Getting your kids to eat their veggies can be a struggle, especially if they are picky or don’t like the taste or smell of certain vegetables. Some children are more averse to eating vegetables than others, so it can be quite a challenge for parents who want their children to eat a balanced diet. Fortunately, there are ways you can get your kids to love those greenhouse grown tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers! Read on and find out how you can make that happen sooner rather than later.
Getting your kids to love vegetables will of course aid in their overall growth and development but by creating healthy lifestyle habits, it will also help them live improved lifestyles as they grow older because eating lots of delicious and nutritious vegetables reduces the likelihood of developing chronic diseases in the future. Though sometimes getting your family to eat everything on their plate is no easy feat, we’ve put together three ways to help increase the odds of how to get your little ones to eat more veggies.
MAKE VEGGIES THE STAR OF THE SHOW –
Kids love to be the center of attention, and veggies are the perfect food to make the star of the show at mealtime. You can make all kinds of fun dishes that have vegetables as the main event: vegetables with dips, vegetables on pancakes, vegetables with pasta, vegetables in tacos, vegetables in sandwiches, vegetables in quesadillas, vegetables in stir-fries, vegetables in omelets, vegetables in soups, vegetables roasted in the oven with herbs and spices, etc. You get the idea! There are countless ways to make vegetables the star of the show and get your kids to love eating them. If you make veggies the main event of a meal, your kids will be more likely to try new ones and enjoy them. Don’t know where to start? Try this Mini Pepper and Sausage Pasta with our Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers – both will add tons of vegetables and color to your child’s dinner! The peppers really shine in these dishes and add so much flavor, your kids won’t be able to get enough!
CREATE FUN AND INTERESTING WAYS TO EAT VEGGIES –
Kids want to have fun, so why not turn mealtime into a fun game? One way to do this is to make a game out of chopping vegetables for stir-fries, salads, and sandwiches. You can make it a game where your child can earn prizes, like a new toy or a trip to the park. Another option is to have your child help you prepare vegetables for a meal, like grating carrots for a healthy and delicious carrot cake or chopping cucumbers for a fresh salad. Other ways to make eating vegetables fun include having them pick out something new that they want to try on your weekly shopping trip or having your child design their own vegetable-themed art or craft.
TRY A NEW FOOD FOR A FEW WEEKS –
You can try a new food for a few weeks and see if your child will like it. Make it fun by creating a healthy cooking competition with your child, playing a game like “Vegetable Bingo.” This is a good way to get your child to try new foods, especially if they are picky. Pick one vegetable and have your child eat it at least once, for at least three weeks to get a stamp on their bingo card. It’s important to not give up just because your child doesn’t like one vegetable! There are so many fun ways to keep your child engaged with the foods they are eating. Educate them on the power of the fresh veggies they are eating and how beneficial they can be for their growing bodies. Print off some coloring and activity sheets to showcase that information in a fun way for them. Sometimes connecting with them can be as simple as having awesome activities enjoyed with veggies.
The easiest vegetables to ease your kids into are snacking veggies! They are convenient and easy for your kids to grab and go on busy days. They not only taste amazing, but they supply your family with all the nutrients and vitamins they need to fuel their busy days. If you’re looking for the best snacking veggies to try with your kids, try these snacking veggies.
TRY THESE SNACKING VEGGIES-
CLOUD 9® BITE-SIZED TOMATOES
If your child has a sweet tooth, they will love Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Tomatoes for their fruity sweetness in every single bite. They are the perfect bite-sized tomato for kids. The best part is they are just as healthy as they are sweet! They are packed with vitamins and nutrients like Vitamin C, lycopene, and iron.
UNO BITES™ NANO CUCUMBERS
For your kids that crave more of a crunch try Uno Bites ™ Nano Cucumbers for a super crunchy one bite snack. These cucumbers are small but mighty when it comes to flavor, vitamins and hydrating your kids. You won’t have to always remind them to drink water on warm days when they are constantly hydrating while snacking!
AURORA BITES MINI SWEET PEPPERS
If your child loves crunch and sweetness Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are where to start with their taste buds. These sweet mini peppers are another bite sized snack for their busy days. Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are not only delicious but full of Vitamin C and A to help protect them against infections and keeping their immune systems healthy.
Try one of these snacking veggies each week and you’ll have a veggie lover in no time!
SNEAK VEGGIES INTO OTHER FOODS THAT YOUR CHILD LIKES –
Most kids love sweet and savory snacks, so you can sneak in vegetables into those snacks as a way to get your child to eat more vegetables. You can sneak vegetables into muffins, pancakes, waffles, and other baked goods. Try unique combinations like these Cucumber Lime Cheesecake Bars, they won’t even be able to tell that they are full of healthy cucumbers! Cucumbers can be so versatile when it comes to desserts, they aren’t just for savory dishes! You can also add veggies to smoothies and milkshakes. This Cucumber Mango Smoothie Bowl is so sweet your kids will have NO idea there are veggies in there. Another way to sneak in vegetables is to add a small amount of grated veggies to macaroni and cheese, hearty stews or soups, or eggs, like adding Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers to this Baked Breakfast Omelet You can also puree or mash vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or spinach, and mix it into pasta or pizza dough. The possibilities are endless!
IT’S TIME TO #FLAVORUP –
Getting your kids to eat their veggies is a challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity to teach them about the importance of healthy eating. Eating more vegetables will reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes later in life. In order to make your kids more receptive to eating more veggies, you have to make them the star of the show, create fun and interesting ways to eat veggies, try a new food for a few weeks, and sneak veggies into other foods that your child likes. That way, your kids will learn to love eating tasty and nutritious vegetables. While nutrition is so important to keeping our kids healthy, fueling healthy kids goes beyond just eating veggies. We as parents need to encourage healthy decisions for our children every day. Pure Flavor® is committed to keeping kids active by supporting local charity events like our Pure Kids Triathlon Series powered by Subway! Encourage your child to eat veggies and get involved in healthy activities this summer and you will have a lasting impact on their lifelong decisions because what we teach them now will reflect on them later in life as well.
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