8 Easy Ways to Get Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

Moms have seen it all. Kids who will only eat pizza, kids who will eat chicken and fries in a restaurant but not at home, and kids who only eat pasta. Many of these same kids proclaim green vegetables are “yucky.” Childhood is the best time to establish good health and nutritional habits, so how can parents turn their little darlings around and get them to eat the veggies that are so good for them? The techniques are surprisingly easy.

1. Send the Right Message: It turns out that parents may be sending the wrong message when it comes to healthy eating. A reward is often a sugar loaded cookie, a slice of cake, or an ice cream cone. If you tell your children to eat their vegetables in order to get dessert, you are implying that vegetables are less desirable than the “good stuff”, the treats.
2. Too Much Information: Sometimes parents explain “Eat this. It’s good for you.” Children don’t really care how many vitamins and antioxidants are contained in their food.
3. Take Control: Many parents have busy schedules and they routinely ask their children what they want for dinner. Seriously? Choosing healthy food for youngsters is the responsibility of the parent, not the child.
4. Use the “Try It, You’ll Like It” Rule: Your children may not love every vegetable you serve but tell them they must at least take a bite and try it before refusing to eat it. Even if they don’t finish at first, they will become more comfortable with beets and brussels sprouts and, hopefully, eat more in the future.
5. Grab ‘Em When They’re Hungry: Place a colourful plate of veggies on the table as crudités while you are preparing dinner. Invite the kids to take the edge off their hunger with some mini carrots, radish florets, and celery sticks for dipping in salad yoghurt or hummus.
6. Plan a Hands-On Veggie Experience: Grow vegetables in the garden or take the children shopping at the farmer’s market and allow them to choose. Let them help you cook and, if you use special equipment like a blender, a whisk, and a chopping board, so much the better. Kids like what they can experience by touching, seeing, and smelling.
7. Silly Names: You can try giving the vegetables a daffy name that will appeal to children. After all, what child wouldn’t rather eat a Superhero Stick than asparagus or a Giant Green Flower instead of an artichoke?
8. Serve a Delicious Blender Beverage: Perhaps the easiest way to give your children the vegetables they need for good health is to serve them a whole food based nutritional blender beverage like Complete from Juice Plus+. This beverage is made from all natural ingredients and packed with vitamins and antioxidants without harmful additives. It comes in chocolate or vanilla flavour. Add a handful of organic power green salad mix for an ABC/Rainbow power drink.