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8 Easy Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat their Veggies
For many parents, getting their kids to eat their vegetables can feel as challenging as eliminating world hunger. However, we all know that it's vital to the health of our children that they get enough fruits and veggies in their diets every day.
Children between the ages of two and six need 3 servings of vegetables every day. Older kids and teen girls need 4 servings of veggies on a daily basis. Teen boys - especially those who are active - should have 5 servings per day.
Of course, a serving isn't actually that big. It's about what would fit in the palm of an adult hand, such as one-half cup (approx. 125 mL) of chopped veggies, three-quarters cup of vegetable juice (approx. 175 mL), 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables (approx 250 mL), or even a medium sized potato.
Sure, this isn't technically very much, but kids will still fight tooth and nail against their own healthy dose of veggies. Fortunately, there are lots of ways that you can slip them into their diets in fun, easy, and appealing ways. Here are 8 of them:
1. Make Up a Big Batch of FUN Vegetable Soup - it doesn't need to be a complicated recipe, as long as it includes lots of different vegetables and one key ingredient: fun pasta shapes. There are always different pasta shapes available out there, and you can switch them to keep them new, or stick to what is successful. There are Christmas trees available in the wintertime, cartoon characters, pumpkins, sports shapes, or the great alphabet fall-back that lets your kids spell out what they're going to be eating.
2. Make Vegetable Juice Entertaining - Vegetable juice can be made much more appealing when served over ice, with a straw or even a cocktail umbrella. Even a stick of celery in the juice can make the juice much more fun - because dipping is always a kid favorite.
3. Try Raw Veggie Sticks with Dipping Sauce - cut 'em up and serve 'em with ranch dressing to dip in, and you'll make baby carrots, cucumber, red and yellow peppers, celery, and other veggies just as fun as chips and dip, but much healthier. Arrange the plate in different shapes like smiley faces to give it some oomph!
4. Let Them Design Their Own Veggie Plate - Same as point #3, but let them make their own shapes and choose their own veggies. More fun for them, less work for you!
5. Order the Salad Bar at Restaurants and at Home - when you're eating out, you can order the salad bar to let them make their own salad creations- and then set out a similar option at home, with lettuce, pepper slices, cucumber, tomato, broccoli florets, cheese, and a few different dressing options. It will feel like a special occasion, even if it's just dinner at the kitchen table.
6. Make a Veggie Pizza - served hot or cold, just use pre-made dough, and load on the veggies. Make veggies, tomato sauce, and cheese the only toppings to choose from, and let the kids make the selections.
7. Get the Kids Involved in Cooking - by having your kids participate in food preparation, they'll become more familiar with different foods, and the pride they take in their work will encourage them to eat what is served. Start off by having them wash the vegetables, and when they're old enough, they can cut them up, too.
8. When All Else Fails, Bury it! - if your children are exceptionally resistant to veggies, then hide them in foods that they already like. Serve "special" orange mashed potatoes, which actually have boiled carrots mashed in with the potatoes. Cook broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans with cheese sauce. Think of your child's favorite dish, and then come up with ways to make it "special" with veggies tucked in as subtly as possible.
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