Nutrition Series by Nourish with Renata
Do you struggle getting your kids to eat veggies? I’ve been there too! Even as a Nutrition Coach, it can be tricky to get my three kids (and hubby) to eat veggies and not complain about it LOL!
So here are my 6 tips to get your kids (and maybe some adults) to eat veggies:
Be A Scientist: Oftentimes as parents, we attach so much emotion to whether or not our kids are eating enough veggies. But we don’t have to! I like to approach it like a scientist. A scientist has a hypothesis, tests the hypothesis, and if it doesn’t work, they find and test a new hypothesis. This simple change in thinking helps me remove the emotion, and find new and out-of-the-box solutions to this challenge.
Try new ways of preparing the veggies: Did you know kids may have to be introduced to a new food approx. 10 times before they try it? Pretty amazing, right! So, if your kids don’t try a veggie the first time, don’t be discouraged. Keep trying! You may need to prepare the veggies in a different way too. Try roasting, sauteing, grilling, use the air fryer, in a soup, in a salad… the possibilities are endless! All you need is your imagination.
Add different flavours: Adding some delicious flavor that your kids already like, will help them to try new veggies. Try add some delicious sauces, dried , fresh herbs and spices to your veggies. My kids love dipping veggies into a homemade Ranch dressing, or this Avocado Hummus. My kids also love anything with Oregano because it makes it taste like pizza. Try this Lemon Oregano Chicken and add in some veggies you think your kids may try. Bonus: you can make this dish in one pan in the oven!
Recipe for Ranch dressing:
https://www.nourishwithrenata.com/blog/homemade-ranch-dip?rq=ranch%20dressing
Recipe for Lemon Oregano Chicken:
Get your kids in the kitchen: One of the best methods to help kids try new foods is to ask them to help you in the kitchen. Kids can help pick out meals, ingredients, flavors as well as help you cook. As always, make sure that your kids are safe while doing so and are doing age-appropriate tasks. When kids can help pick out and make a meal, they are so much more invested in it and proud of their work. And when they have a positive association with cooking and food, they will be far more likely to try new foods! My kids love helping to make these easy Smoothie Bowls.
You can top them with different fruits and shapes too: https://www.nourishwithrenata.com/blog/st-patricks-day-smoothie-bowls-%F0%9F%8D%80?rq=kids
Be a Role Model: Kids are watching us parents all the time. So it is important to remember that we need to be the example for our kids. If you want your kids to eat more veggies, you need to eat more veggies too! Talk to your kids about why you are eating veggies, how it makes you feel and why it is good for you. Show them that you are trying new things, even if it is scary or uncomfortable, and explain why that is important.
Hide the veggies: Yes, I said HIDE the veggies. This is a strategy that I sometimes used when my kids were younger. Thankfully, the kids are older now, and they enjoy eating veggies. But hiding veggies in recipes can be very effective. You can do things like add chopped spinach to meatballs or marinara sauce, blend a ton of fruits and veggies into smoothies, or make these Chocolate Superfood Protein Pancakes!
Let me know if you give these tips a try! And for more healthy and delicious recipes for the whole family, head over to NourishwithRenata.com!
