creative ways to give your children vegetables?

Options
2»

Replies

  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Options
    Blend the vegetables into mashed potato, soups, stews, pasta sauce. Add soft cheese or block creamed coconut if you want to make a rich texture. Remember that tomato paste, beans and lentils, sweet potatoes all count towards vegetable intake. Otherwise serve smoothies or fruit salads - berries are low sugar and packed full of nutrients, apparently it is possible to totally disguise spinach in a smoothie! You might also pick your battles, some vegetables are more nutritious than others, some are easier to hide than others.
  • osualex
    osualex Posts: 409 Member
    Options
    I am a child when it comes to eating my veggies. I hate them normally, but I'm coming around to them b/c I know they're good for me.
    Here's what I do:

    Roast them. Roasted broccoli with some lemon and parmesan cheese is amazing. Roasted squash, yum!
    Mix it into other stuff. I put frozen spinach in my eggs, they blend right in.
    Season them really well. Asian dishes are good for this.

    And try to find maybe 3-4 veggies he does like and prepare them like this. I'll never be able to enjoy some veggies and I'm ok with that.
  • paleirishmother
    paleirishmother Posts: 242
    Options
    Thank you all for the suggestions. I am going to use a lot of this advice, and take a new approach.
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
    Options
    I am a mother of four grown ups. I can remember as a child gagging in beans and pumpkin, then "discovering" pumpkin at my boyfriends house at dinner (I couldn't say "I don't like that" could I!!) I came home and told my mum I loved pumpkin, she nearly hit me!! I remember puréeing pumpkin and putting into spaghetti sauce or my fusspots. You can be really sneaky as above posters have suggested. As long as your child gets fresh foods, some sort of fruit or vegies, and you keep offering things in different ways, hopefully it might work.

    2 1/2 year olds are notorious for stamping their authority - you are the top dog so you have to be smart and not dance to his tune. Don't let it become a power thing - don't let his attitude stress you. Keep calm and carry on as they say!

    Have you tried taking him shopping in a lovely fresh vegie market and let him choose the shopping?
    Get some seeds or seedlings and grow some vegies? Peas, cherry tomatoes, carrots, watercress, maybe even sprouts in a jar?
    Get him involved in the preparation?
    Offer fresh, steamed, mashed, roasted etc.
    At pre-school here they have fruit time - could you "play" schools, or if he goes to a playgroup they also tend to have fruit time.

    Good luck! He certainly doesn't look malnourished, very cute little boy :smile: :flowerforyou:
  • pamelak5
    pamelak5 Posts: 327 Member
    Options
    Saute shredded carrots in a little olive oil with a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar added right at the end. It tastes like a dessert and the kids will love it. After they get used to eating the carrots, reduce the sugar each time you cook it. At this age you're just trying to get them to associate veggies with a nice taste.

    What's funny is that there is an Indian dessert (gajjar halwa) made out of shredded carrots that are cooked down...it was my favorite food when I was a kid!
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Options
    What's funny is that there is an Indian dessert (gajjar halwa) made out of shredded carrots that are cooked down...it was my favorite food when I was a kid!

    Oh that stuff is so good and I don't even normally like cooked carrots. Does it have milk in? I may try to make that, I have so many carrots in my refrigerator it's silly.
  • pamelak5
    pamelak5 Posts: 327 Member
    Options
    If I recall correctly you can use nonfat dry milk in it . little butter too (but not a ton of it). If you're interested in the recipe, send me a message and I will dig it up for you.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Sometimes it's the preparation method rather than the veggie they really don't like.
    For instance mom boils everything pretty much out of existence, but name a veggie and cook it other than boiled... steamed.. sauteed, in a stir fry, roasted along with the meat, crockpot... chili... stew... change up the prep method and you may find a formerly "hated" veg is a favourite.
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
    Options
    Personally... I don't like "sneaking" veggies so I make sure to include my kids in every process such as choosing the veggie, cooking it, and raving over my amazing delicious brussel sprouts (which I do seriously absolutely love)

    HOWEVER if you are interested and sneaking and have no issue with it, I own this book:
    http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354671457&sr=8-2&keywords=double+delicious
    which has some really creative ideas in pureeing and adding veggies to dishes that kids already love and don't associate with veggies. There are two books and I like using the ideas because they are smart anyway... not necessarily because I want to sneak. Maybe you will like it too?
  • zephtalah
    zephtalah Posts: 327 Member
    Options
    I put the veggies on the plate and say "eat them". There's no other option at my house; I do not run a restaurant. That being said, I always serve fresh veggies, either steamed, grilled, or broiled. No sauces, just some butter or olive oil, bit of sea salt and pepper. Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, and green beans are the ones I serve most often.

    Mother of 4.


    This is kind of my philsophy too. If I have a child who is being persnickity at the moment about their veggies, I serve their veggies first and they can get the rest of dinner as soon as those are done. I make it a reasonable portion, but the rule stands. We have veggies with pretty much every lunch and dinner. Occasionaly, I will allow a little dip with our fresh veggies, but that is more of a treat reserved for now and then.
  • SarahtheJillianfanatic
    SarahtheJillianfanatic Posts: 117
    Options
    Will he eat sweet roast veg (pumpkin, yams, spuds etc) with gravy? That's the only way mine will eat things that are obviously veggies.

    Otherwise, mine will eat loads of veggies chopped up very (as in, microscopically) fine (courgettes, peppers, celery, onions, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, whatever) in a sauce of tinned chopped tomatoes and garlic, plus mince and finely chopped bacon. Smother it in cheese, and she doesn't seem to make the connection between that concoction and the hated veggies she without fail throws on the floor if I serve them to her undisguised.

    She's only just two, though, so I'm aware she may stop falling for this at any time. :sad:
  • HeatherBriggs1970
    HeatherBriggs1970 Posts: 59
    Options
    Personally... I don't like "sneaking" veggies so I make sure to include my kids in every process such as choosing the veggie, cooking it, and raving over my amazing delicious brussel sprouts (which I do seriously absolutely love)

    HOWEVER if you are interested and sneaking and have no issue with it, I own this book:
    http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354671457&sr=8-2&keywords=double+delicious
    which has some really creative ideas in pureeing and adding veggies to dishes that kids already love and don't associate with veggies. There are two books and I like using the ideas because they are smart anyway... not necessarily because I want to sneak. Maybe you will like it too?

    Great idea....get them involved and not only are they loving what they eat but they are learning how to make healthy choices!!

Categories