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Ok, let’s be honest, Getting the kids to eat healthy can be a nightmare. Why is it they’ll ask for candy and chips, even if they haven’t tried them before, but they run a mile from a nice piece of fruit or a carrot stick? Ok, maybe not all kids are like this all the time. But they can be picky eaters. If you are having trouble getting your kids to eat a healthy diet, why not be just a little bit sneaky? Get them to eat some fruit and veg without them realising it and everyone’s happy.
Sneaky Veg
Luckily things have come on a bit from when your mom used to hide peas under your mashed potato and hope you wouldn’t notice them. There are lots of cool ways of getting the little ones to get more veg down them, without them being any the wiser.
First of all super veggie pizza is one of my favorites. Blend cooked carrots and peppers into the tomato sauce. This not only makes sure they are getting a triple dose of veg, but the natural sugars in it means they will end up liking this sauce better than a bottled one. In fact, anything that uses tomato sauce is a great way of sneaking in additional veggies into their diets. so you can use this method for casseroles and pasta too. Don’t forget that mushrooms, peppers, sweetcorn, and pineapple all make great pizza topping. Try to encourage them to have veg on the top of the pizza as well as in the sauce. If your little ones are gluten free, or you’d like to try and get even more veg into their diet, why not swap the bread base for a mashed cauliflower base? You boil it up, blend it in a mixer and shape into a traditional pizza base shape see here for some more info.
Another fun way of getting more veg into your kid’s diet is to introduce them to healthy tips like guacamole, hummus, salsa. Make your own hummus by blending chickpeas with a little lemon, water, olive oil and garlic. You can flavour with smoked paprika or caramelised onions top. Your kids can then use raw vegetable crudités is to dip into the sauce, which often makes it more palatable for them to eat. A similar idea is giving the kids cauliflower or broccoli cheese. This is a tasty compromise that acts as a gateway to getting them to eat that veg again in the future.
Sneaky Fruit
Some kids are pretty good with fruit as it tends to be sweet. However, it’s always good to up their daily intake, so as well as offering them a piece of fruit, why not include a fruit puree in their breakfast? This can work well on yogurt, cereal or even on top of a fruit salad. Have a go at baking it into cookies or flapjacks as a treat.
Sneaky Swaps
Another way of getting extra fruit and veg into a picky kids diet is to help them to make a sneaky swap. If they are used to drinking a can of soda a day, why not get them to swap it for a fresh juice? If they have a bag of Lays potato chips, try making your own vegetable crisps from carrots, parsnips, and beetroots in the microwave. If they are a big fan of candy, then strawberries dipped in yogurt and frozen can provide a yummy sweet treat without all that processed rubbish.
Healthy treats
A sneaky way of getting the kids to eat better without them realizing is to present them with home baked healthy treats. Replace flour with beans, butter with avocado and used dried powdered orange peel instead of orange flavoring in baking.
While the kids scoff down your yummy treats, you’ll be safe in the knowledge that they are getting all sort of vitamins and minerals into their diets.
A bit of added motivation
There is nothing wrong with ensuring your kid’s first experience with a particular fruit or vegetable is a positive one. This can be done in a few different ways. Think about adding extra ingredients like bacon, garlic or a small sprinkle of sugar to foods that they might be struggling to try. This, in conjunction with the one bite rule, is a good way of opening your children’s minds to new food experiences. For example, while spinach might be difficult for them to eat raw when they are young. Why not cook it with a little garlic and cashew nuts and it make it a delicious side dish? Filled potato skins are also a good way of doing this. Potato skins are super good for you, read The Alternative Daily here to see why they are the healthiest vegetable peel to eat. Sprinkle with cheese, chives and tiny pieces of bacon for a fun snack that is providing the kids with a ton of good nutrients.
Education
One of the key things to in making sure that your child has a healthy and balanced diet is to get them educate good food choices early on. The best way to do this is to allow them to come into the kitchen with you and cook.
You can get the kids involved with cooking meals and baking. It is a great way for them to see what goes into their food and get enthusiastic about the process. The fact that there is an edible reward is always a bonus. Getting your kids involved in choosing what to make helps them feel ownership of their diet. It also enables them to make better food choices both now and in the future.
Make a big deal out of them helping in the kitchen, get them a child size apron and their own cooking utensils. You can even get them involved in the entire process, by getting them to plant and tend seeds in the garden. Then they will have a full understanding of where their food comes from. The are much more likely to eat veg that they have tended themselves too!
I need all these tips for sure. I do like the idea of Sneaky Veg! Blending cooked carrots and peppers into the tomato sauce is a wonderful tip.