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Healthy Eating Active Living

How To Help Your Child Eat More Vegetables

It’s common for children to dislike vegetables. Your child will learn to do many things throughout their
childhood and one of those things is learning to eat vegetables. It’s something they must try over and over. Here are some tips to encourage vegetables in your child’s meals so they can get practice eating them!

Dip it!
Many children like to dip their foods. Cut cucumbers, celery, or carrots into spears and dip into hummus or plain Greek Yogurt seasoned with herbs or mixed with some ranch dressing.

Use familiar foods as a “vehicle” for veggies.
Add fresh tomatoes atop pizza, bell pepper in quesadillas, or add chopped kale into taco meat.

The ABC’s
You may realize your child likes more vegetables than you think if they write them down in lists. Have your child make 3 lists.

  • List A = vegetables they like.
  • List B = vegetables they especially do not like.
  • List C = vegetables they like that are conditional (a vegetable eaten only if prepared in a certain way, or if it comes with a certain sauce or dip).

Take lists A and C with you when going grocery shopping.

What’s on the Log?
Change up “ants on a log” (peanut butter on celery with raisins on top) by using cream cheese on celery topped with dried cranberries or toasted coconut flakes instead.

Incorporate vegetables into your foods you already eat

  • Add shredded carrots into meat loaf
  • Mix cauliflower rice in macaroni and cheese.
  • Make an egg scramble with mushrooms and spinach
  • Add broccoli into pasta dishes

Involve Your Child

  • Take your child with you when shopping for vegetables at the farmer’s market or grocery store.
  • Involve your child in the kitchen to help wash, remove leaves, or chop vegetables (as age appropriate).
  • When deciding which vegetable to have for dinner, give them a choice between 2 vegetables. “Would you rather have broccoli or asparagus for dinner?”

Other Tid-Bits

  • Children learn by example. Show your child that you enjoy eating vegetables. Have family meals.
  • Vegetables and fruits have similar vitamins and minerals, so if your child eats fruits, rest assured, they are still getting good nutrients.
  • Offer a new vegetable that is similar in texture, taste, or color to one your child already eats. For example, if they like baked potatoes, offer a baked sweet potato or baked yam instead.
  • Prepare your child before they try a new vegetable: describe it’s color, how it feels, it’s texture, it’s taste. Then invite them to try it.
  • Do not overwhelm your child with a large portion of a new vegetables, place only 1-2 tablespoons on their plate at a time.