What To Do To Get Your Kids To Eat Vegetables

Kids need to eat at least 2 to 3 servings of vegetables a day. This means that they need to eat  a half cup of raw vegetables or three fourths cup of cooked vegetables. They need this for proper growth development and a healthy life. They also need to consume fruits, dairy, proteins, whole grains, and vegetables for a well- balance diet. But one of the hardest task of mothers or parents is how to get their kids to eat vegetables. Given the chance to choose from the types of food, kids will most likely reject vegetables. But then, there are still several ways to get them to eat vegetables.

Getting kids to eat vegetables is not really as difficult as most of us think. The first thing that should be done is to develop in them the habit. Introducing them to vegetables should be done the very first time that they are given solid food as babies. Mix them in the solid food or simply blend them with the cereals.Vegetables should be varied everyday so they will get used to the different taste as  they grow.

Serve colorful vegetables and if possible cut them into fancy shapes to catch the kids attention. Slice raw carrots into sticks and always have them in the refrigerator. Kids get attracted to them and just eat them once hungry. Avoid stocking junk foods in the fridge. This is also a way to avoid eating them. Have sliced vegetables that can be eaten raw and sliced fruits instead. Make sure to place them where kids can easily see them and can easily reach without any assistance. Kids will surely eat them just like finger foods especially if they are hungry.

Sneak in vegetables to their meals. Kids love to eat spaghetti, burgers and sausages. These can be considered as junk foods. When cooking spaghetti sauce, add finely chopped carrots to the mixture. Try using finely chopped banana heart or banana blossoms instead of ground meat when making burger. I tried this and I assure you, this tastes as good or even better as meat burger. My grand kids liked it. Sausages can be nutritious when mixed with some vegetables. Meat sausage can be prepared with green peas, finely chopped carrots, pickle relish, and raisins. Steam-cook it for the first serving. Always cook more than what is needed for the first serving. Refrigerate the extra sausages and serve some other time in different presentation like frying and serve with homemade dips. This way time preparation is also saved.

Be creative in cooking vegetables. Kids love to eat chips and finger foods. Think of some vegetables that can be eaten in these forms. Water spinach can be coated with batter and fried until crisp and brown. This is also appealing to the kids.

Getting kids to eat vegetables maybe a challenge to every mother or parent. But this only takes some of your time, a little patience and effort to make this possible. After all, health is your number one concern for your kids. As the saying goes, "health is wealth," therefore, you should also treat it as one of the best investments your kids can inherit.