Kids hate vegetables. We have all heard that before. It is an unfair stereotype that is made worse every time a commercial hints at the idea. Even a former president banned broccoli from the White House during his entire term in office since he hated it so much as a child. But it does not have to be that way. By taking the time to make your children part of the shopping and cooking process and convincing them to give veggies a try, you can teach even the most stubborn child to give the greens a chance.
Remember any activities from preschool or kindergarten? Chances are one of them was finger painting. Children are very hands on. They like to get their hands on everything. One of the best ways to get them to eat vegetables is to have them help prepare them. You can have children put spinach in water to soak it, use the salad spinner to dry lettuce for a salad, toss the salad, or even carefully add the carrots to the soup. In time you can teach them basic knife skills and have them even help you make dinner. Most people have a tendency to eat and enjoy things that they helped prepare. You can use this to get kids to eat their veggies.
You can get your children to be hands on even before dinner time. Take them shopping with you. Show them what you are buying, ask for their ideas, taste fresh vegetables if you can get permission. Getting kids involved in the decision process and having them see you enjoying their ideas can make them look forward to veggies rather than running away from them.
Go out of your way to make vegetables more kid friendly. Plain carrot sticks may be a bit difficult for some people but store-bought ranch dressings can be full of saturated fats, refined sugars, and other processed foods. Learn to make your own healthy dips to make fruits and veggies more approachable. Be sure to cut food into bite sized pieces to make it easier for them to eat. Not all children are «civilized» enough to handle eating a large piece of steamed broccoli with a knife and fork. Instead, cut them into bite-sized florets to make it easier for your kids to eat. And offer them snacks on toothpicks. Skewered food just looks like more fun. Even as adults, we all love kabobs!
When your child is unwilling to try something new try and offer the «one bite rule». Sometimes new veggies just look unappealing to kids. Maybe it is too green, smells strange, or they just feel like being stubborn. Whatever the reason tell them to try one bite before deciding. If they do not like it after that bite then take that particular vegetable off of your list for a while. It may be worth trying again down the line. Often children, and adults, are convinced they do not like something because it tasted strangely years ago. Trying to reintroduce something occasionally can prevent this.
Children do not have to hate vegetables. Stop treating produce like it is something we all hate and instead get children involved with preparing and shopping. You may be surprised to find out how many veggies you like as well.
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