Easy Ways to Get Vegetables Into Your Children's Diet

The modern day battleground between most parents and young children is at the dinner table. Your child is gaining independence with each birthday that comes and goes. The more vocal and mobile they become, the harder it is for parents to keep their children eating healthy. Lets face it, the first few months of solid food; they are willing to try anything. They are just happy to have anything other than milk and cereal. As early as 12-18 months they begin acquiring tastes for specific things, which are normally sweet and not as nutritious. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your children will get the vitamins and nutrients they need for optimum health.

First, continue to offer them vegetables. If they don't like broccoli on the first try, try again and again. Offer foods a minimum ten times. If they take one bite and don't want another, that's OK. Think about how long it took you to acquire the taste for coffee. We normally start with a 2/3 milk and sugar combination and ¼ coffee; moving up to drinking black coffee can take years. My daughter is two and still not a fan of asparagus. Each time we eat it as a family, I put one spear on her plate and cut it into pieces. I don't force her to eat the asparagus, but I do ask her to try one bite each time. Forcing will create a battleground. They will hold their position for the sake of the battle and as a way to demonstrate their independence. The last time I placed asparagus on her plate, she took one bite without my prompting. It's working. She eats most other vegetables with ease because I have done the same process each time.

Second, do fun things with fruits and vegetable to make them look more appealing. For instance, the older toddler and pre-teen will enjoy helping you make a meal. Let them help "decorate" pizza. Use carrot sticks for hair, cherry tomatoes for eyes, and a piece of zucchini for a nose. Use your imagination and theirs. They will enjoy eating it because they made it. Use a tortilla for the crust and it can be a fast dinner even for a weeknight. Also, colored toothpicks will inspire children to eat new things. If you place a toothpick in their vegetables (and possibly offer a dip) they will eat them. If they are old enough, let them insert the toothpicks themselves. The secret here is keeping it fun.

Lastly, sneak vegetables into old standbys that all children devour with ease. You can puree a cup of carrots and add it to spaghetti sauce. Shred zucchini and squash (or any other veggie) into wet chocolate cake mix. The size of each veggie should be similar to the size of a matchstick carrot. Kids love cake. You'll be amazed with the results when you relax and keep it fun. There's nothing wrong with letting them have their cake and their vegetables too!