Food plays a major role in making sure your children are hitting the developmental marks expected of their age. It is the responsibility of the parents to offer healthy foods. Eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits provides important vitamins and minerals to help reduce the risk of diseases.
Children’s serving sizes may be small and depend on their age, appetite and activity levels. Any amount is better than nothing. Offer your children a variety of vegetables and fruits, not just the type they like.
Picky eating is common in children between the ages of 2 and 11. Some children are naturally more sensitive to texture, smell and taste. Other children can develop picky eating habits from their parents’ fussy eating habits.
Never assume your children dislike a particular vegetable. It takes a few clever tricks to not only get them to eat veggies but enjoy them, too. Here are some ways to get kids excited about their vegetable intake.
- Mix veggies into favourite or comfort foods.
Vegetables are versatile. Classic favourite foods are a great platform for adding veggies.
Cauliflower can be chopped up and added to fried rice or mac ‘n’ cheese. It can be a pizza crust, too. Zucchini noodles can be added to the pasta mix. Chances are, kids won’t even notice vegetables are not there.
Spinach and shredded carrots can be added to pizza as well. Let the children have fun while filling tacos with beans and other vegetables. Making veggie fries is also a brilliant idea.
- Let eating veggies be more interactive.
Kids love flavorful dip or sauce, such as hummus, fruit salsa, guacamole, or nut butter. Pairing veggies with dip makes complete sense.
- Load your ground meat with chopped veggies.
Any recipe that calls for ground meat can be loaded up with chopped veggies. Just chop any veggies you like into tiny pieces and throw them into a food processor.
When it’s time to cook the meat, add the veggie pieces and cook them at the same time. They’ll soften up and become tender. The flavour of the dish will not change.
- Turn veggies into creamy sauces for tossing with pasta.
Sweet potatoes and carrots are perfect for blending into silky sauces. They can be used as the base of all kinds of dishes. Butternut squash can be turned into a creamy mac ‘n’ cheese sauce.
- Incorporate veggies into desserts.
Adding veggies to your baked goods will add protein without changing the flavour of your dish. Sweet potatoes for example can be mashed and transformed into something sweet that can be incorporated into your children’s favourite desserts.
- Season veggies with flavours. Butter, salt and garlic are always a good combo.
- Mask veggies into something your kids like.
Blend spinach and mix into meatballs. Juice the carrot and make cookies with it. Melt butter to mask the smell of broccoli.
- Get your kids involved in the preparation of the meals.
Kids can help out in the kitchen. Let them peel the veggies or squeeze the citrus. Having them with you in the kitchen is also a great opportunity to teach them about different types of foods.
- Help them discover new things, shapes, colours and simply allow them to have fun.
Bring them in shopping. Let the kids participate, encourage them to choose what they like. Let them smell the fruits and wash the veggies.
This will help them feel in control and encourage them to eat what they helped cook.
- Be a role model.
Lead by example and eat your veggies first. It’s simple, children tend to follow their parents’ example. If your children see you eating and enjoying veggies, they’re more likely to eat and enjoy their own.
Don’t force them to eat something they don’t like. Some kids take longer to come around to eating vegetables. Forcing them to eat can make them dislike veggies even more. Don’t get upset. Take your time and you’ll realize it takes time for the kids to eventually like veggies.
Early childhood eating habits are important. If you have concerns about your kids’ eating, you mustn’t ignore them. It is normal as a parent to be concerned about the diet of your children.
Yes, picky eating is usually a normal developmental stage for toddlers. Note that not all picky eaters are the same. It’s important to talk to a doctor to diagnose eating problems that go beyond the normal phase. You can troubleshoot by talking to a pediatrician. Finding a walk in clinic Calgary can be an option.
Don’t give up on efforts to entice your children to eat a broader range of food. Continue to expose your children to new foods overtime to get them to try them. Be patient and do your best to guide your kids on their path toward healthy eating.