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Fruits and vegetables are an essential
part of a balanced diet, but getting kids (particularly picky eaters) excited
about healthy food isn’t always easy. But the good news is its not impossible.
Here are a few sneaky ways you can get your kids to not only eat more veggies,
but enjoy them too!
1. Hide nutritious ingredients in every
recipe. Add V8 vegetable juice to
your meatloaf, sneak vegetable purees into pancakes and mashed potatoes,
incorporate a few more veggies, such as carrots, kale, onion, and celery, into
your tomato sauce. Your kids will continue to gobble down their favorite foods
and be none the wiser!
2. Make it fun. Try to come up with some
creative names for the healthy food your child may be avoiding. When they ask
what’s for dinner, instead of saying, “Chicken and broccoli,” try saying,
“Dragon meat with magic forest.” Or, get creative with the plate and arrange
the food to make a funny face. You could even try having a “picnic” on the
living room floor. It sounds goofy, but injecting a little fun and whimsy in to
each meal will minimize meal time drama and result in more clean plates.
3. Mix it up. Combine vegetables with
another food your children likes. For example, toss pasta with some peas and
carrots. Or, simply substitute healthier ingredients in the same meals they’re
used to, such as low-fat cheese or whole-wheat pasta.
4. Serve the veggies first. By the time
dinner rolls around, your kids are probably hungry enough to eat just about
anything. So begin the meal with a serving of vegetables before the meat or
starch. Try starting off with a small salad with chopped peppers, carrots,
olives, and their favorite dressing
5. Grow your own. If you have room for a garden
in your backyard, or even just a few potted plants on the back porch, let each
child be in charge of tending to a different vegetable. After working hard to
make sure their plants grow strong, your child will be more excited about
enjoying the fruits of their labor.
6. The two-bite rule. Sometimes, kids just really don’t like the flavor of
vegetables. Their palates are still developing, so more sophisticated flavors-
like those of broccoli or Brussels sprouts- really do taste yucky in a young
mouth. So agree on a two-bite rule. Tell your child if they don’t like a food
after two bites, it’s OK not to eat it. The important thing is to at least to try something new. Just knowing that
they won’t be forced to clean their plate might be enough motivation to try
just a little. And who knows, they may be surprised to find they really enjoy
their veggies!
7. Get excited. Your children will be more
excited about healthy foods if they see you enjoying healthy foods. So make a
big deal over the spinach salad. Ooh and aah over asparagus. Rub your belly
when you take a bite of beats.
Neighborhood News July 2011
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