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Kids and Vegetables
Some Ways To
Encourage Your Kids To Eat Them!
Kids and vegetables don't seem to go together very
easily! One common struggle that most mothers will face at some time or
other is getting their kids to eat their veggies, as most kids will turn
up their nose at the site of anything green. So how do you get around
the veggie issue? Here are some fun and easy ways to get your kids to
eat their veggies.
Fun Presentation
Kids love fun and colorful food. Cut up some carrot sticks, cucumber
rounds, sliced cherry tomatoes and sliced bell peppers and arrange them
all in a plate. You can make a face using the cucumber rounds for the
eyes, carrot sticks for eyebrows, cherry tomatoes for nose and mouth and
arrange the pepper strips to form the face. Serve with hummus and cut
pita bread on the side.
Make it Routine
Try to serve at least one veggie with each meal your child has. You can
alternate between salads and cooked or cut veggies but always serve at
least one with each meal. Your child may not eat them at first but if
they see that veggies are a standard part of meal times they may just
start trying them.
Set a Good Example
This one goes without saying. Just like making veggies a routine part of
meals it will also help kids to see mom and dad eating their greens.
Show your kids how nice veggies can be by filling your plate up.
Get Creative
Okay this is a little sneaky but definitely works. Most kids love
spaghetti so place some cooked veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower,
peppers into a food processor and whiz until liquid. Add the mixture to
your spaghetti sauce for a nutritious meal. But make sure you don't go
overboard and add too many veggies as this will change the taste of the
sauce. The trick is to start out slow and gradually increase the amount
of veggies as
your kid's taste palette changes.
Veggie Muffins
Add a little grated carrot or zucchini to your standard muffin recipe.
Banana carrot muffins are delicious and so are zucchini chocolate chip
muffins. You can also bake pumpkin muffins or cake. This is a great way
to give your kids a yummy treat and still ensure they’re getting a good
serving of veggies.
The One Bite Rule
We have a rule in our house. Even if the kids don't like the look of the
veggies they must at least try one bite. If they actually don't like it
then they don't have to eat it. This avoids a lot of meal time tantrums
and often the kids will actually like the food once they taste it. Try
it - you may be pleasantly surprised at how many different foods you
kids will actually eat. But make sure you take no notice of their
reaction, either way ... even if they DO like it, they will pretend not
to if they know you are watching!
Grow Your Own
There is nothing like growing your own vegetables to make your kids
interested in eating them! You don't need much space, either - just a
pot or two on the windowsill will do, if that is all you have got.
Radishes and "cut and come again" lettuce are very fast and satisfying,
as well as good to eat. Runner beans are great for kids if you have more
space and , if you have a warm windowsill (or a greenhouse) you could
try some baby tomatoes.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
The Uneducated Palate
When did you learn to really enjoy food? How about experiencing taste
and textures? I think children develop a taste for food a lot sooner
than we think.
Ways of Dealing With
Separation Anxiety
All parents will remember how difficult it was to leave their children
when they were young, and some of us had to deal with unhappy children
suffering from separation anxiety, again and again and again! Veronica
shares some tips on how to make the partings easier.
Healthy Food Means Yucky
Food
So, you are ready to make some changes in your family's diet. You've
heard and read enough to know that eating Real Food is important to your
family's health and happiness. You know what your kids eat when they are
young not only affects their health now, but also in the future...
5 Reasons Why Animals
Are Important To Your Child
Why are children so fond of animals? From teddy bears to favourite TV
and cartoon characters, animals are a key part of a young child’s
development. Children’s educational specialist Stephanie Cooper has
identified 5 key areas where animals play an important role...
Math Games
for the Active Child
To put it in a nice way, my son is rather squirmy. He doesn't like to
sit still for very long unless he's playing a video game, then it's just
amazing. So instead of constantly telling him to sit down and do his
math, we take it outside or up the stairs, literally...
