More Veggies

I originally wrote this post back in 2011 as part of a paid campaign with SocialMoms and Peas and Thank you. I but I thought I would update it a bit and re-share it with y’all as it is still very much relevant today. Although a few of my methods may have expanded.

Getting my kids to eat more vegetables used to be a nightmare but not anymore. I have learned ways of getting them to eat them with very little trouble, although I cannot take all of the credit. Here are some of my best tricks:

Baby Food

I use baby food as my sweeteners for cakes, cookies, muffins, and more. When I am baking all I do is throw in the baby food and the kids think they are getting treats full of sugar when they are actually getting treats filled with wholesome goodness. My favorite baby food to use is are the ones in the pouches. I can squeeze the food out of them and then close them up if I don’t use it all.

Jesus Loaves

This one was all my oldest son’s doing and I cannot take credit. He told my oldest daughter when she was four that broccoli was the loaves that Jesus used to feed the thousands. Ever since then she eats it without question. I know that it was wrong not to tell her the truth but I think Jesus understood. To this day (she knows broccoli is not the bread now) she will ask for Jesus loaves when I am cooking. It is an inside joke in the family now.

Keep It Simple:

I used to put all sorts of things on top of the veggies to get them to eat them but I have learned that if I keep it simple they like them more. So no cheeses, butter, sauces, anything. Just plain. If they want something added they can add that or ask me to add it for them. Sometimes the best taste is the the vegetable itself.

The 3 Bite Rule

We have the 1 bite rule in our house. The kids must take at least 3 bites no matter what it is. If they take three bites and don’t like it they don’t have to eat it. However, nine times out of ten once they have taken those three bites they enjoy whatever it is. We need more than a single bite to determine if we like soemthing. I also reintroduce things they didn’t like at various ages since our taste buds change as we grow up.

Smoothies

My kids love fruit smoothies so I throw in a couple of veggies when I a blending and they get it them without knowing it. I also make sure that the veggies don’t make the colors too wild. They will straight up know I put kale in if a banana smoothie is green. I will never hear the end of it. So, I stick with things that will make sense. For example, maybe toss in green apples which would explain the color.

Their Choice

When I do my shopping I allow my children to choose the vegetables they want to eat. If they choose it willingly then they are more likely to eat it. It helps me with the shopping and they know what sort of vegetables are going to be on the menu. It is empowering for them.

The 1 New Rule

Every grocery trip includes the 1 New Rule. What we do is go to the produce department and each child chooses 1 new vegetable to try. The guideline is that they must NOT have ever eaten it before. I figure this will expose them to all sorts of new vegetables. It also exposes me to new things.

International Dishes

We are a blended culture household with the kids being half Mexican. I am part French and to be honest I love trying dishes from all over the world. With a lot of international dishes you can easily hide all sorts of vegetables. The flavors are vibrant so the kids never really know everything that’s in there.

Meatless Night

Once a month (at the least) we have Meatless Night. That means no meat at all only fruits and veggies. This was not an easy thing to begin early on but I have found it refreshing. The kids look forward to it as well because they get to pick all of the foods we eat on that night.

Lead By Example

This is an easy one but I eat vegetables so that my children will want to follow my lead and eat them. I will admit that I probably don’t eat the variety of them that I should. That is something I am working on. Children follow our examples so doing my best to eat well will help everyone.

It doesn’t have to be a battle just find things that work for you and your children. Allowing your children to help you in the kitchen or grow some veggies they like will go a long ways towards building a love of vegetables in their lives. If they are involved they are more likely to eat the food you are serving.