It goes without saying that we all need to eat our vegetables. They’re packed full of vitamins and antioxidants that keep us healthy. But what do you do if your toddler or child who once happily ate everything given to them has now developed an aversion to anything resembling a vegetable?
I can’t guarantee that your child will enjoy all vegetables (even I’ll pass on okra and fennel), but with a few clever tactics you’ll hopefully put your child on the right track to a healthy varied diet full of delicious vegetables and avoid nasty things like constipation, tooth decay and obesity.
For more inspiration check out my top 10 meals for fussy eaters.
DO KIDS NEED 5-A-DAY?
In the UK the advice to the general public is to aim to eat 5 portions of fruit or veg a day. Children below the age of 2 need some vegetables in their diet, but don’t stress about getting 5-a-day into them at this age. Just concentrate on introducing a variety and allowing them to explore the different tastes and textures. The concept of 5 portions a day can be gradually introduced between the ages of 2 and 5. Remember, a portion of veg is roughly what a child can hold in their hand. So a young child’s portion will be much smaller than a 10 year olds portion.
GROW VEG!
Getting children to eat more vegetables starts way before they sit down at the dinner table.
Research has shown that the more familiar children are with a food the more likely they are to enjoy eating it. Being familiar includes knowing about where the food comes from and how it’s grown. So why not try growing some vegetables with your kids. If you’re confident and have space you can give your child their own little vegetable patch. Not so confident or don’t have a garden? Try growing some cress or herbs on a windowsill. My kids like to grow the cress in a clean empty egg shell (with a face drawn on it of course) but any container will do. You don’t even need soil to grow cress. Just pop some damp cotton wool inside your container and then sprinkle on the cress seeds. In a few days your egghead will have grown some cress hair!
BUY VEG!
You can further familiarise your child with vegetables by taking your child to the supermarket and walking around the fruit and veg aisle. Encourage your child to choose something. Talk to them about what’s in season and ask you child to spot those vegetables on the shelves. Teach them how to tell when something is fresh. Ask your child to help you pick out the best looking veg and let them choose if they can reach.
COOK VEG!
Try to involve your child with the cooking process too. Plan a meal with some vegetables that your child has agreed to try. Ask them to help you chop and cook them. Even young children can help by washing vegetables and putting them in a bowl or pan. You can make it more fun by playing a fun game of “guess the vegetable” before you begin. Place the raw vegetable under a large tea towel and ask your child to guess what it is by feeling it but not looking.
One good thing about vegetables is that they are very varied in shape, colour and taste. You can also cook and serve them in so many different ways so there are a lot of options. Don’t stop serving a vegetable if you’ve only cooked it one way. If your child has tried it boiled then try it the following week roasted or grated raw.
EAT VEG!
Getting your kids involved in the process of growing, buying and preparing food should help to lay the groundwork for happier mealtimes and empty plates. You can’t expect your child to like every vegetable you serve (they’re predisposed to be very suspicious of green food) but it may pay off some of the time. Try to eat as a family at a table, make sure everyone has veg on their plate and remember to be a good role model by eating your own vegetables.
SEE AND EAT PROJECT
Check out these excellent free downloadable vegetable e-books aimed at getting young children familiar with vegetables by showing the journey “from farm to fork”. They are even customisable so you can add your own images and edit the text. They are part of the See & Eat project which is funded by EIT Food and led by the University of Reading.
SHOULD I HIDE VEGETABLES IN FOOD?
I wouldn’t recommend hiding vegetables as your only way of getting kids to eat more vegetables, as hiding veg doesn’t develop a genuine love of vegetables. It can however help increase intake of vitamins. So, alongside the advice above you can try some of these ideas…
- Hide grated vegetables in cakes! I love carrot and courgette muffins
- Blend them into pasta or Bolognese sauce. Most kids love pasta and you can easily blend courgettes, carrot and mushrooms into a basic tomato sauce without changing the flavour too much
- Try a hummus dip. Make a basic hummus with chickpeas but add beetroot or roasted red pepper. Serve with veggie sticks and see if it’s a hit
- Blend in some kale. It sounds odd but a small amount of kale or spinach can be blended into a fruit smoothie and won’t be noticeable
- Add soft cooked veggies to mash potato. Cauliflower, carrot, swede or parsnips are all delicious added to mash.
- Add finely grated carrot or courgette to meatball or burger mixture
Leave a Reply