Most moms have this struggle at some point in their child’s life. Kids sometimes love their veggies and other times they spit them out as far Fiji, and if they’re like my son, they loved them, now they don’t.
Kids are peculiar creatures. To deal with them we have come up with some crazy plans like “open up for the airplane”. Well if that routine is in your house or you’re thinking about it, you HAVE TO see this!
Yep, that’s an airplane spoon and bib set with a flashing lights runway!
If the battle is not going well for the parents’ side, it might be time to call in the next battalion, the professionals. Many doctors and nutritionists write books to help guide parents through this stage and get the right nutrition into their children’s bellies, so if that’s you, books like this one may help. Feeding the Picky Eater is written by a married husband and nurse duo with their advice to help moms get creative so their kids will actually want to eat their greens, or at least take them without a fuss.
The trick to getting kids to eat their recommended daily allotment of vegetables is to feed them in a way kids accept them, and not know they’re there. Take the idea of Jamba Juice and V8 Fusion drinks as a good sample, they blend fruits and vegetables together to make a delicious cocktail that people enjoy; that’s the key. You can try some recipes that combine things like kale, spinach, strawberries, and blueberries in one drink, or even grapefruit, to get kids a healthy smoothie for breakfast or a snack, and also make them a healthy salad that disguises the food!
For a healthy shake, try this combination:
1 small handful of spinach
A little Kale
1 cup of strawberries
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/3 banana or 1/2 small banana
1 pinch of brown sugar
Blend into a juice or smoothie texture, serve.
Now remember that kids sometimes will not accept a new food the first few times, in fact, experience shows that some kids could take 10-12 solid attempts before they appreciate them. Vegetables are an acquired taste, and kids need help and time to acquire themselves.
Also remember that blending fruits like blueberries and blackberries with just water makes a thin juice that you can soak or cook foods in for a natural, healthy food dye to further disguise the presence of broccoli and cauliflower. Creative thinking is the master tool to healthier diets.
Salad dressings like vinaigrettes are made with raspberries and olive oil with added herbs for rich flavor that makes eating salads taste much better while also providing more nutrition; and homemade recipes have more locked in nutrients because they are made fresh and not processed. Raspberry vinaigrette also has a pink tint to disguise the foods a little. Kids love colors and sweet flavor so use them.
In our home, I make soup from pureed sweet potatoes, a little olive oil, and boiled potatoes that are nice and soft, sometimes mixed with tomato soup. Soups, drinks, and mashed (like potatoes) help interest kids in food, and a little zest of spices, pepper, or a pinch of brown sugar can train kids to enjoy those healthy foods. Try them with pasta also. Cut up veggies, steam soft, them add in with a nice sauce or homemade dressing for taste. Toddlers may even want to get involved and help make the meal, that might excite them to try their creation.
Have your little ones try this Sweet Vegetable Smoothie, made with cinnamon and nutmeg! Click to get the recipe, then scroll down the page and look at all the delicious smoothie ideas to incorporate fresh vegetables and nutrition into your children’s diets. This website makes it very easy to inspire new ideas for moms to incorporate the right nutrition with great taste, and fun making the food by yourself or with your kids, they might even inspire ideas for dinners and lunches as well, like sandwich spreads and sauces.
