We all want our kids to get the nutrients they need, but we don’t want to have to force it too much. Parents work hard trying to get healthy fruits and vegetables into family meals, and it’s frustrating when kids won’t eat them, or don’t even want to try them.
Sometimes it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve to get kids interested in trying those unfamiliar but healthy foods. These creative ideas from other parents who have been through the same challenges with picky eaters may be enough to put a twist on your mealtimes at home and encourage kids to at least give the veggies on their plates a fair chance.
We asked our followers for their best hacks to get kids to eat vegetables. Here are some of the most useful responses, from “hiding-the-veggies” meal ideas to ways to ways to take the pressure off and make eating veggies more fun:
- “Blend it in the tomato sauce. As long as it is mostly red, they don’t question it.”
- “We like to pretend the veggies make them invisible! Once they chew and swallow it, we look around the table calling their name out and they laugh so hard. Then the veggie bite wears off and they take another bite to become invisible again. It’s so cute.”
- “Soy sauce on steamed broccoli. Maple cinnamon roasted carrots. Seasoned and salted veggies are yummy! Mine love learning about what vitamins they gain based on the different colors they eat.”
- “Literally just set them on a plate before dinner — no pressure.”
- “I have him help me cut them, he’s only 4 and uses plastic knives so they often get more destroyed than cut but he EATS them while he’s cutting them! Won’t eat them if I put them in front of him so I call this a win!”
- “Letting them help me chop and cook makes a big difference. Stirring, adding seasonings, dumping stuff in the pot. We make a lot of veggie soups and if she gets to help she takes a lot of pride in her work.”
- “Let them “sneak” bites off the counter while I’m cooking! They will try and eat veggies that way, they never will AT the table.”
- “We play ‘guess that bite!’ You close your eyes and they take a bite and you have to ‘guess’ what they ate. They LOVE trying to ‘stump’ you. And when all else fails…put a piece of it on the table and say ‘OK, don’t eat that broccoli…that’s mine! Don’t eat it!’ Make a big show of it and try to ‘be faster’ to get to it.”
- “Try giving veggies in different forms — my son likes WHOLE vegetables, not cut. And he’ll eat them like a fiend.”
- “Roast them and serve with a dip they like. Hummus, garlic dip, Chik-fil-A sauce, teriyaki.”
- “We add tons of veggies to our meatballs.”
- “I put it in smoothies and soup and when they like it, I tell them what is in it so they know they don’t have to be afraid to try them next time. I never make them finish anything but they have to try it. And keep trying. Don’t give up if they don’t eat it one time. Their palette will change as they get older.”
No matter what eating phase your child is in right now, rest assured that lots of patience, offering a variety of vegetables, and reducing your own stress about mealtimes will help — eventually!
