In baby food, vegetables and fruits are a very important element of proper nutrition. The recommendation states that you should consume at least 400 g of various vegetables and fruits per day (5 servings), but remember that vegetables should make up the majority. Children usually love fruits and eat them willingly. However, with vegetables it is problematic. In today's article, you will learn a few tricks to add more vegetables to your child's diet.
Does your child want to eat vegetables? Refusing to try new flavors and rebelling against broccoli on your plate? Well, kids can get their way, but the demand for vegetables needs to be met somehow. Therefore, we will present you with 10 creative ways to introduce more vegetables into your child's diet.
1. Try not to put pressure on the child
Some children enjoy being in complete control of their choices and enjoy simple meals. They will eat whole broccoli buds and taste spinach leaves, but when a shapeless vegetable mass appears in front of them, they suddenly lose their appetite.
Some children also have an aversion to any kind of mixing. For us, peas and carrots served in one dish can be extremely tasty, but not for a child. Therefore, it is worth trying to serve vegetables separately, in the least processed form. When there is a piece of cooked or stewed meat, potatoes, and a few different vegetables on the plate, the child is likely to pick something for himself.
It is worth appreciating every small step and in no case forced to eat everything that is put on the plate. No need to put pressure on the child. This is why the aversion to food is very ingrained. Since pressure triggers strong emotions, and this, in turn, causes negative associations with food, we can only make the problem worse. Give your children the freedom to choose and don't be discouraged at the first refusal. Maybe one day the taste will change, the desire for something green will arise by itself, or curiosity will simply win.
2. Spaghetti not only with tomatoes
Most kids love pasta. Restaurateurs know this and love to include spaghetti with tomatoes in the children's menu. The very presence of tomatoes on the children's plate is cause for joy, but we can also enrich the spaghetti sauce with other vegetables. Finely grated carrot or parsley roots, finely chopped celery, or some boiled red lentils in a flavorful Bolognese sauce will probably not even be noticed. Another patent for the smuggling of vegetables in spaghetti is the preparation of carrot or pumpkin noodles. Just stock up on a so-called vegetable sharpener and create twisted orange or green spaghetti.
3. French fries not only from potatoes
Another dish that kids love is french fries. They are usually made from ordinary potatoes fried in low-quality oil and sprinkled with a lot of salt. What if you could make fries with other foods? Vegetables like celery, sweet potatoes, carrots and parsley, cut into strips, are delicious after baking with a little olive oil. Plus, a serving of good quality ketchup has a chance that the next serving of vegetables will go unnoticed by your child.
4. Pancakes: no one suspects the composition
Puffy pancakes with maple syrup or chocolate are a breakfast that doesn't need to be persuaded. The problem, however, is that these simple pancakes are mostly made from white wheat flour. However, you can tweak them a bit so that they are not only tasty, but also nutritious. If you add grated pumpkin, carrots or zucchini to the pancakes, they will acquire additional nutritional value. A small addition of vanilla, cinnamon, or cocoa will completely remove the flavor of the vegetables.
5. Sweet muffins and vegetable-based cakes
Likewise, in the case of desserts, muffins and cakes can be prepared using mashed potatoes or vegetables. The flagship example is carrot cake, but in reality, the cake can also be fortified with other additives. The base of the cake can be grated zucchini, beets, pumpkin or parsley root. Pumpkin puree and ground spinach are also good options. Spinach cake, which resembles tar or forest moss, usually makes a positive impression on children.
6. Multi-colored pancakes
Pancakes are one of the most favorite children's dishes. How about adding a little more nutritional value to the pancakes? Pink beetroot pancakes and bright green spinach pancakes look fabulous on a plate. They can be prepared as sweet or savory, with different additives and based on different varieties.
7. Delicate cream soups
If you don't like a soup with lots of floating vegetables, try stirring it. Creamy soups are easier for many children to swallow and can contain a wide variety of ingredients. The celery floating in the soup may not be the type of vegetable you like, but when mixed it will hardly taste. It is worth trying combinations of flavors and spices, starting with the most classic, such as tomato or carrot cream, gradually expanding the range of soups with more unusual ones.
8. Vegetable pizza
Pizza is another dish you can use to your advantage. Slices of courgettes can be prepared in a similar way. These mini pizzas are very tasty and can be eaten with your hands.
9. Sandwich spreads and vegetable cutlets
Bread is a great place to add extra vegetables. The easiest way to do this is to put slices of your favorite vegetables on top of your sandwiches. For example, you can add a little grated cucumber or radish to the curd. You can also spread a thin layer of avocado paste on sandwiches instead of butter. It is worth trying different recipes.
Perhaps your child will enjoy the rich flavor of vegan bean-based lard, perhaps millet and roasted pepper paste, or maybe even hummus. It is worth serving dishes and not limiting the choice of sandwiches to ham, cheese, jam. Let vegetable pates, cottage cheese and other valuable products also appear on the table.
10. Fruit and vegetable cocktails
Another idea is to add an extra serving of vegetables to your child's diet! Smoothie! The fruit smoothie can be complemented with a few leaves of spinach, kale, parsley, raw beets, carrots, pumpkin, or some celery. If we start with minimally invasive proportions, we can gradually increase the proportion of vegetables in the shake and thus adapt the taste of the child.
In fact, one of the most important rules in trying to get your child to love vegetables is to avoid foods with a strong flavor. A child who eats mostly sweets and savory snacks tends to have so much stimulated taste buds that it's no surprise that vegetable dishes are perceived as bland, boring, and not very appealing.
So, if your diet so far has been based on jam pancakes, chocolate cream sandwiches, cheese and ketchup toast, or french fries, it’s very easy to understand that your child doesn’t like vegetables.
There is a real gap between the rich taste of these dishes and the delicate aroma of vegetables. To restore the normal sensitivity of taste buds, simply change the diet to a more natural, milder taste and gradually introduce vegetables in different forms. You should know that just because your child doesn't like boiled carrots doesn't mean they won't eat carrot pancakes or peach-carrot smoothies. It is worth looking for alternative solutions.
