Six Proven Ways to Get Your Child to Eat Those Dreaded Vegetables

5 Ways to Get Your Toddler to Eat Healthier Foods

Getting children to eat is hard enough, but when you put those leafy greens on their plate? The meltdowns ensue, and food goes flying. As a mother, dinner time is usually the hardest part of the day. Not only getting the kids to sit at the table, but also eat the food on their plate. Pediatricians recommend you introduce one new vegetable to your child, that they do not currently eat, every meal. However, how do we exactly do that? Below are six ways to introduce new vegetables and fruits every meal, without the extra fuss and hassle.

1.) Grow a Garden- No seriously

Children LOVE to get their hands dirty and see a process start. Remember the plastic bag, paper towel and seed grow method you learned in Kindergarten? Same process here for the kids. Get a bag of seeds and seed starters, and get those plants growing. Have your child participate in this, and watch their curiosity grow along with the plants. As the plant matures, your child will love picking the ripe tomatoes and green beans for dinner. This also doubles as a biology lesson and sensory play!

2.) Get Them in the Kitchen

Grab your latest TV show character apron, and washed hands and teach them how to cook! Learning how to roll dough for pizza, or even crushing ripe tomatoes for the sauce, is a great introduction to learning to cook. Once they feel part of the process, they will be more willing to try what they created! Just remember, safety first!

3.) Take them Grocery Shopping

I know, this one might be hard. However, allow extra time to bring your child into the store. Stay away from the middle aisles stocked with processed food, and allow your child to see the different fruits and vegetables they can get. Children love to put the vegetables and fruit in the cart, on the belt, and they love to put it away. Giving children choices makes them feel important, and it helps them feel excited about eating it later!

4.) Presentation is Everything

So, you know when you order food at an expensive restaurant, and the food is decorated? Presentation means everything. Now, we know you aren't a chef. However, there are cute ways to get your children to eat fruits and vegetables, and that is by presentation. Pinterest has SO many cute ideas for your everyday meal, and plus, this costs nothing. Putting the veggie spaghetti right on the table or even putting vegan puddling in a cup is fun and interesting, plus it's a change of pace!

5.) Textures

I think textures are the biggest obstacle that prevents children from trying new foods. The greatest thing that we can do as parents is observe. Look for similar textures they do not like, such as mashed potatoes and oatmeal, and try to omit those foods for a few weeks. After some time passes, introduce those foods with foods you know they will eat. Observe. Omit. Repeat.

6.) Offer Choices

Everyone goes to the fridge and just stares waiting for their bellies to grumble at the sign of food. Children are the exact same way. Children love independence and they love the idea of getting their own snacks. Putting out some baskets in the fridge with their favorite fruits, healthy snacks and tiny waters makes a great asset to any fridge. This also teaches healthy food choices for the long run!

I hope this list has helped you and your children make healthier food choices, and also makes a great guide to introducing those foods!