Today we are talking about kids and vegetables. I don’t know about you, but I am ALWAYS looking for new ways to get my kids to eat their vegetables. Did you know that today, 9 out of 10 people in the United States do not get the proper amount of vegetables, according to The State of the Plate report? Thankfully, I was raised by a mom who instilled a love of vegetables in myself so I am happy to use my mom’s own tips and tricks to help develop a love for veggies in my own children. In this post, we are sharing some simple tips & an easy recipe to help encourage those kids to eat veggies!
10 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat their Vegetables
1. Take them shopping & let them pick their vegetables. Let them pick the vegetables while you are at the store. Knowing that they picked the vegetable might make them more likely to eat it!
2. Serve a variety of vegetables often. At almost every meal or snack time (besides breakfast!), I try to make vegetables an option. This is one thing that my mom did for us growing up so I have it instilled to serve vegetables at every meal. I try to offer a variety of vegetables & thankfully I often buy what is part of the weekly specials at the store, which often rotates & allows me to provide a variety for my kids at an affordable price.
3. Let them help you cook & prep meals. Allowing my kids to help dump the peas into the soup & attempt to peel the carrots gives them more hands-on experience with the vegetables & hopefully makes them more likely to eat what they make!
4. Add them to meal favorites. Add vegetables to kid favorites which you know they will always eat. Put peas or chopped broccoli into mac & cheese. Serve grilled cheese with tomato soup. Add peppers to quesadilla. Since they already love the meal, a few vegetables hopefully won’t turn them away!
5. Give them the choice of vegetables. Often for lunch, I pack a vegetable as a side dish to their meal. I just let them choose between what we have. For example, carrots or celery OR tomatoes or cucumbers. They pick one & that’s what they get!
6. Serve with dips. My kids love dip so they will eat about anything with dips. Serve vegetables with ranch dressing, hummus, spinach dip, or other favorites in your house!
7. Try different “sneaky” recipes. There are so many great “sneaky” recipes out there where you can mix purees & chopped vegetables into meals and kids won’t even notice. Pick ones that appeal to you and the kids and try them! We love some of the hidden veggie breads and always add greens to our smoothies.
8. Be willing to try new things with your kids. Try new vegetable recipes & preparations along with your children. Let them see you eating the veggies & they may want to try it to!
9. Make veggies visually appealing. Make a vegetable kabob or make a smiley face out of your vegetables. Try to plate the vegetables so kids will want to eat them. Be creative & have fun!
10. It’s okay to say “no” : If there is one thing that my mom has taught me, it’s okay if they say no and don’t like it. Keep offering & trying new things. Their taste buds will grow & change and don’t ever give up on those veggies!
Today, I want to share one of our favorite after school veggie-packed snacks with you: Southwest Salsa Dip. This dip is perfect for appetizers, served with tacos and quesadillas, & perfect for a fun and veggie packed snack for kids!
Southwest Salsa Dip is awesome. Not only does my husband & love it, but it’s perfect for my kids. It’s not too spicy AND the dip includes two things that many kids don’t love to eat: an array of vegetables and a protein source, the beans. This recipe can be made in five minutes, perfect for busy moms. By using the Birds Eye Southwest Blend bag of vegetables, there is no more prep work in chopping onions and peppers.
- Stir all of the ingredients (except the Italian dressing) in a big bowl until well mixed.
- Add the Zesty Italian dressing & stir.
- Let chill overnight or for several hours before serving.
For more veggie-loving tips & a few easy simple recipe ideas , make sure to check out the video below from the host of FoodNetwork.com’s web series The Picky Eaters Project, Melissa d’Arabian. I can’t wait to try her tip on roasting frozen vegetables & adding parmesan cheese, because roasting fresh vegetables is one of my go-to side dishes for dinners!
Birds Eye has partnered with Melissa D’Arabian, celebrity chef & mom of four, to make a difference and help moms with the dinnertime dilemma of getting a balanced meal on the table every day. With over 40 unique blends year round at great prices, Birds Eye frozen vegetables are a nutritious, affordable, and tasty item to have on hand in the kitchen. Birds Eye and Melissa are teaming up to encourage families & kids to eat more vegetables, one bite at a time. Step Up To the Plate is Birds Eye’s long-term commitment to reshaping kids’ veggie perceptions and getting children to like veggies for life. So take a stand to step up to the plate & encourage a love for vegetables in your own kitchen. We would love to hear your own “veggie-loving” tips that you try with your own children, so please feel free to leave a comment with your own tried & true veggie-loving tips and recipes!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Original article and pictures take thechirpingmoms.com site
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