Creative Ways to Get Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

 "Yuck! Broccoli for dinner? Gross me out!" You've heard these words before from your own child, haven't you? Maybe it wasn't broccoli the last time: perhaps squash was the guilty menu item, or maybe it was peas, or possibly carrots. One of the terrible truths of parenthood is that sometimes kids simply will not eat their vegetables. Does that mean you're just going to give up? Heck no! The ongoing battle between kids and parents can be fought on the sneaky side if you're willing to get creative with your cooking choices. Here are a few suggestions that may help you sneak a vegetable or two onto your kid's plate and into their tummies:

 

Veggie art.

Following this step lets your child explore their creative sides by using their imaginations to make artwork out of their vegetables. Veggies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and can easily become all manner of creations. Your child can build an entire community of little soldiers out of peapods, or create a laughing clown face out of a hard-boiled egg, some sliced yellow peppers for hair, and a green bean to complete its wacky smile. You might even encourage your kids to create a beautiful landscape or veggie architecture!

Veggie: the Musical. 

Your entire family can pitch in to write and perform songs about their vegetables. What will the story be about? A fable bemoaning the fate of a pair of star-crossed avocados, or perhaps a yarn about a spinach princess under the spell of a wicked beet? Once you've set forth writing your tale, begin creating the music! You will all love the amazing and undoubtedly hilarious songs you will no doubt be belting out all through dinner.

Veggie pizza. 

Your kids can build this together with you. Open a can of pre-prepared dough or make this delicious pizza dough recipe. Roll it out until it is circular, then bake it according to the instructions. When the crust comes out of the oven, spread with a herb flavored cream cheese and top with a variety of sliced vegetables.

Veggie sneak attacks. 

Camouflage the vegetables with other food and your kids will never know what hit 'em. Italian recipes are especially handy here since you can cook up a big pot of spaghetti and cover it with a garden sauce that holds as many kinds of vegetables as you're willing to throw in! Build a lasagna with layers of spinach between the noodles and cheese, and add peppers and mushrooms to the meat sauce. For extra flavor, add a teaspoon of California olive oil to your sauce. Or you can be super sneaky and mix in pureed veggies to your brownie recipe!

Veggie bar. 

This works especially well if your family enjoys the salad bar at a local restaurant. Everyone likes to think they have freedom of choice, so set up a wide variety of chopped up vegetables buffet style and let your little ones add at least one kind to their salad. Provide a variety of dressings and maybe a sprinkling of cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Tomatoes, shredded carrots, and chopped cucumbers are especially popular salad bar choices.