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5 Sneaky Tactics to Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies

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February 28, 2010
	Jo Wehage : Head Operations Ego

When was the last time your 6-year-old came to you craving some sauteed spinach? How often does your 9-year-old request Brussels sprouts with her meal?

Let’s assume for the moment that we all buy fresh fruits and vegetables to prepare for our family. (Okay, okay….we’re working on it.) Let’s brainstorm some ideas to help get your kids accustomed to a healthier whole food lifestyle rich with fruits and vegetables.

(Note: whole food means it probably didn’t come from a box or a bag.)

Tactic #1: Deception.
There are a number of cookbooks on the market today that find sneaky ways to get foreign vegetables into foods that kids would otherwise scorn. One popular version is Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious.

Ideally you don’t want accept the notion that your kids will always have a yuck-fest over the mere thought of vegetables, but I’m a fan of this option for the simple fact that it may help get your kids tastes buds accustomed to the flavor of vegetables. Plus, parents who struggle with kids that only eat white foods, bland foods or the two famous food groups: chicken nuggets and hot dogs, have a bigger challenge on their hands.

The downside is that it takes some preparation ahead of time, which can be tough to squeeze in for some parents. Try teaming up with a mom’s group. Have a little “puree day” at one house in a given afternoon. Plot your deception together and compare notes on strategy. This is war! The life span of your kids is on the battle field.

Tactic #2: Grow a garden.
Yeah, I know. I don’t have the room or the time either, but container gardening is all the rage. You can consider mini gardens that grow in your kitchen window and small pots of various veggies on the deck as the weather turns warm.

My step-mom gave me the idea to buy a pack of mixed lettuce seeds and plant them in decorative hanging baskets. The mix of dark purple and bright green lettuce is really gorgeous. This year I’m trying a mixed pack of Swiss chard which has bright green leaves with vibrant stalks of red and yellow.

Exotic-looking hanging baskets, cheap and really, really healthy.

Studies show that if kids are involved in the process from the start, eating the “fruit of their labor” is a much more successful venture then introducing foods at the table.

If the garden is out of the question, take them to the farmer’s market and find ways that the kids can be involved in the food preparation. Ownership and participation can go a long way when it comes to buy-in from the little people. Find some element in the process that will truly engage your kids.

Tactic #3: Serve veggies first.
Kids are hungry. They eat what they know and like first. They fight you on everything else and since at that point they’ve probably had their fill of food, they have the energy to make a stand. The whining works particularly well on exhausted parents who finally give in to avoid a nervous breakdown.

One trick is to not allow kids to snack before dinner and when they sit at the table demanding to be fed you conveniently make vegetables ready to go before any other part of the meal is ready.

A food that’s not so familiar and suspect will have a lot better chance with hungry kids when it’s the only option on the table.

Tactic #4: Change their thought process.
Kids can be a hard sell and anything different is likely to get a harsh reaction. Instead of bargaining with the “just two bites” mantra try a new tactic. Solicit their help.

If little Connor doesn’t like the taste ask him what ideas he has to make it taste better. More butter? Sugar or salt? Heck, offer up chocolate sauce as a way to get veggies on the radar.

Literally put all kinds of options right on the table and challenge him to figure it out. Butter, salt, mustard, ketchup, chocolate sauce, maple syrup – you name it. Early in the game, the more bizarre the food adjustment choices the better. Just make sure a simple solution (salt or butter) is one of the options as well.

While chocloate sauce isn’t a healthy addition to any vegetable dish, hopefully the sauce game will get old and Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper will be a normal staple on your dinner table. (If not, chocolate-covered Brussels sprouts is still better than none at all.)

You can also engage them in the preparation process. Sautee some kale in olive oil and have your little one pour a stream of agave nectar over the leaves until she determines it’s just the right amount.

“Creative ways to like veggies” is a very different thought process in the mind of your little one; much different than putting up roadblocks to avoid them entirely. And much more fun for everyone.

Tactic #5: Smoothies
Ah, those who know me have been waiting for this one. I’m telling you people, you can get your kids to eat frozen spinach every single morning for breakfast! The things that disappear behind blueberries and a banana will astound you.

Get out your blender – buy a 3 lb bag of blueberries at Sam’s or Costco and read my Frozen Spinach for Breakfast post to get cracking. Find a healthy protein powder to toss in and you have just super charged your little one’s breakfast beyond any feat that little leprechaun has up his sleeve!

So moms – help us out. What have you discovered out there in the trenches? Share your tricks, your resources and your success stories with us below in our comment field.

Remember, it takes a village. It’s time to stop having ours be governed by a clown in red and yellow stripes.

Also, be sure to read:
First Graders Can’t Identify Common Veggies and check out the video clip of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution premiering on ABC.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Tuten

This post is proudly submitted for the Nutrient Wellness category of our 12 Weeks of Wellness