| Kids will eat vegetables that are fresh, crisp, and colorful. |
Getting
kids to eat vegetables is an age-old problem that won't be solved in a blog
entry, but here are a few ideas that have worked for me:
1. Buy
or grow your vegetables fresh.
There's nothing worse than canned peas, which in no way resemble the wonderful fresh peas you pick from your own garden and serve over new potatoes in a cream sauce. My kids love fresh peas--but they gag over canned peas.
Canned asparagus is another product that will permanently turn kids against vegetables. Canned green beans aren't as bad as canned peas or asparagus, but they still don't compare to fresh beans. Corn actually tastes okay canned, but it's much better, of course, on the cob--especially if it's from your own garden.
Some vegetables are fine frozen--peas and corn come to mind--but most others turn out soggy and inedible, like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Give kids fresh vegetables and they are much more likely to eat them.
There's nothing worse than canned peas, which in no way resemble the wonderful fresh peas you pick from your own garden and serve over new potatoes in a cream sauce. My kids love fresh peas--but they gag over canned peas.
Canned asparagus is another product that will permanently turn kids against vegetables. Canned green beans aren't as bad as canned peas or asparagus, but they still don't compare to fresh beans. Corn actually tastes okay canned, but it's much better, of course, on the cob--especially if it's from your own garden.
Some vegetables are fine frozen--peas and corn come to mind--but most others turn out soggy and inedible, like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Give kids fresh vegetables and they are much more likely to eat them.
| Fresh or frozen peas are more appealing than canned. |
2. Serve vegetables raw.
Serve baby carrots, broccoli florets, cucumber slices, pepper slices, and grape tomatoes with a dip made from fat-free sour cream and watch the vegetables disappear. This is a great after-school and summer-afternoon snack.
Serve baby carrots, broccoli florets, cucumber slices, pepper slices, and grape tomatoes with a dip made from fat-free sour cream and watch the vegetables disappear. This is a great after-school and summer-afternoon snack.
| Raw vegetables are full of crunch and flavor. |
3. Steam or grill vegetables, rather than boil
them.
If you must cook vegetables, don't dump them into a pot of boiling water. Boiling most fresh vegetables turns them the consistency of canned vegetables--plus it destroys most of the vitamins they originally contained.
Steaming vegetables for very short periods of time keeps them crisp, colorful, and appetizing. Grilling vegetables--like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and mushrooms--is another way to cook them while preserving their flavor and texture.
If you must cook vegetables, don't dump them into a pot of boiling water. Boiling most fresh vegetables turns them the consistency of canned vegetables--plus it destroys most of the vitamins they originally contained.
Steaming vegetables for very short periods of time keeps them crisp, colorful, and appetizing. Grilling vegetables--like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and mushrooms--is another way to cook them while preserving their flavor and texture.
| Steamed vegetables maintain texture and flavor. |
4. Take vegetables as snacks on car trips.
If you're traveling, the kids are hungry, and all you have to offer are vegetables, they will eat them.
I had proof of this a few days ago when we were driving home from a hiking trip. Instead of chips, cookies and candy for snacks, I took along baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and broccoli. The kids complained at first, but the vegetables disappeared pretty quickly.
If you're traveling, the kids are hungry, and all you have to offer are vegetables, they will eat them.
I had proof of this a few days ago when we were driving home from a hiking trip. Instead of chips, cookies and candy for snacks, I took along baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and broccoli. The kids complained at first, but the vegetables disappeared pretty quickly.
| Grape tomatoes are great for car trips. |
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