How to Make Your Children Eat Vegetables

Getting children to eat vegetables is often a battle, but your children will be eating their vegetables in no time with these simple steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vegetables
• Creativity

1. Examine your attitude about vegetables. Many opinions kids have about food are a result of their parents' attitudes. Being overly pushy or making a big deal about eating vegetables can have an adverse affect on your child's willingness to eat her vegetables.

2. Put some thought into presentation. Kids are more likely to eat vegetables if they are served with foods they like. Consider steaming carrots and cutting them into small pieces and mixing them with macaroni and cheese or other favorites. Cutting up a variety of colored vegetables and placing them on a plate can also make your child curious enough to try them.

3. Serve vegetables with a dipping sauce. Offer dips such as ketchup, onion dip, sour cream or yogurt.

4. Include cooked veggies in sauces and soups where they may not be easily detected.

5. Give vegetables silly names. A child may be interested in trying green dinosaur trees more than broccoli.

6. Prepare vegetables differently. Raw, steamed, mashed and grilled are just some of the ways you can prepare vegetables. If your child has issues with the textures of vegetables, preparing them differently can make a world of difference.

Tips & Warnings

• Eat your veggies. Sometimes all it takes is seeing mom or dad eat their veggies for a child to want to eat his.
• Introduce a vegetable often even if the child refuses it. It can take up to 10 times for a child to see a food before he will try it.
• Be sure to serve vegetables in age appropriate textures and sizes.

[Susanh]

on 9/27/2008 Yes! Veggies are so important for proper growth and health.