Introducing vegetables to your little ones can be challenging, especially if they’re picky eaters. Many parents default to steaming or boiling veggies, thinking it’s the best way to ensure their children get the nutrients they need for growth. But, you can try several things to make veggies taste good for kids.
You can experiment with different tips and tricks to get your kids excited about these nutritious foods. From adding spices to making veggies resemble French fries, here are some fun ways to make vegetables as appealing as chicken nuggets.
Mix vegetables into favourite foods
Incorporating veggies into your little one’s favourite meals is a wonderful option to make veggies exciting. Using meals, they already know, and love will make the task a little bit easier. Foods like bolognese, spaghetti, pancakes or even scrambled eggs are great to pair with a variety of different vegetables. Simply chop, grate or shred the vegetable of your choice, into the meal for a more flavourful meal sure to have your kiddies asking for a second helping.
Play around with presentation and toppings
Do not hesitate to let your kids help during meal preparation. Invite your kids to get creative in the kitchen, with their meals incorporating different shapes and toppings to make the meal exciting. Try using toppings like cheese, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes to make various shapes and faces.
Presentation can be key to making certain veggies appealing to children. Try serving meals on colourful plates or transforming the veggies into different foods e.g. serving carrots in the shape of French fries or turning butternut into heart shapes.
Try cooking them differently
Trying different cooking methods can be extremely helpful when introducing different tastes and textures to your children’s meals. Often just boiling or steaming veggies can be considered too bland for kids. We recommend roasting or sauteing your veggies in a small bit of olive oil, or unsalted butter to give the veggies some extra colour and flavour to draw them in.
Include a delicious dip or sauce
Consider including a scrumptious sauce or dip on the side of the veggie plate. Adding sauces and dips that pair well with vegetables can give your meals additional depth and taste. Try some mushroom and garlic sauce, tomato sauce or even some peanut butter to get your little ones intrigued.
Add herbs and spices
Include some tasty spices or herbs in your vegetables to help expose your child to different tastes or textures. Garlic and herbs or vegetable spices will add a little bit of magic to your squash, carrots or sweet potato.
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A version of this article was first written by Katelin Maggott for Food&Home.
