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As any parent will know, getting your little one to eat healthily can be quite a battle. Children go through phases where they are just not that interested in vegetables and will often reject them. It’s completely natural for kids to be fussy about their food. After all, most toddler-friendly foods aren’t exactly healthy! However, while it may seem at times like they won’t ever accept anything other than sweets and fries, the importance of eating a varied and balanced diet is paramount for growing children. Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can encourage them to eat more veggies. As well as making small adjustments to your own diet and offering smaller portions of less healthy foods on occasion (like dessert), there are plenty of ways you can sneak vegetables into meals that they don’t even notice. Here are our top 15 tips for getting your toddler to eat their veggies.
Rotate your child’s diet
It’s important to rotate your child’s food, rather than serving the same foods on a daily basis. This will help to prevent them from becoming bored or sick of certain foods, and will ensure they get a lot of different vitamins and minerals from the food they eat. This is especially important for the veggies in your child’s diet, as they are often rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals that they need. However, when you serve the same veggies day in, day out, your child will probably get bored of them, which will make them less likely to try them. If you want your child to eat their veggies, try serving a different type each day. You can ask a friend or family member to alternate with you if you have more than one child.
Let them help prepare meals and choose what goes on their plate
If your child is old enough to safely use a knife, encouraging them to help prepare meals may be something to try. This is a great way to get your child involved in the process of eating healthy, and will make them feel more invested in the meal. If you have a fussy eater on your hands, it may also help to involve them in the decision-making process when you put together their plate. Wherever possible, encourage them to try different foods and let them know that there is no such thing as “wrong” food. It’s all about encouraging them to try a variety of different things so they can discover what they like best.
Make your own veggie finger foods
This is an excellent way to get more veggies into your child’s diet, and it’s also a great way to encourage them to use their hands at the dinner table. This lets them feel like they’re eating a proper meal, rather than just mashing vegetables with a fork. You don’t have to make anything fancy – small cubes of butternut squash, potato, or sweet potato are ideal for this. Squeeze a small amount of natural yoghurt into the centre of each piece to add a bit of extra flavour. Carrots and green beans are also great for finger foods.
Try sneaking in veggies when you’re making their favourite meals
While it’s important not to replace all of your child’s meals with veggies, it can be helpful to sneak veggies into their favourite meals. This is a great way to slowly introduce more fibre and vitamins into your child’s diet, without them even noticing. Just remember to be discreet – if you add too many veggies to their meal, they may still reject it, and you don’t want to trigger a rejection response. Some good examples of this include: – Adding a small handful of spinach to your child’s favourite pasta dish – Adding a small amount of grated sweet potato to their pancakes or waffles – Using mini butternut squash as the “nose” of a teddy bear or bunny – Sprinkling chopped broccoli on top of pizza – Adding a small amount of finely chopped carrots to brownies
Add a small amount of salsa or guacamole to their meal as a dip
Another sneaky way to sneak more veggies into your child’s diet is to add a small amount of salsa or guacamole as a dip for their meal. – You can also use salsa or guacamole to flavour plain baked sweet potato, which is a great way to get your child to eat this excellent source of fibre. – Alternatively, you can serve vegetables with cheese – this will help your child get their daily calcium intake, and they won’t even realize they’re eating greens.
Serve vegetables as the main dish, not an accompaniment
If your child is used to vegetables coming as a side dish, try switching it up and serving them as the main dish instead. This will make them feel more like a meal, and your child will be more likely to accept them as a main dish than a side dish. If your child is reluctant to try certain veggies, this is a great way to introduce them to different flavours without putting them off too badly.
Make it fun! Have food that’s themed around their favourite things.
If your child is reluctant to try a new food, try to make things fun by associating the food with something they like. For example, if your child won’t try cauliflower, try serving it with a cheese sauce that they enjoy, and let them know that cauliflower is like broccoli. Alternatively, try making a volcano pizza, or putting their peas in a sandwich.
Don’t Force them to Eat it – Yet
As adults we know the benefits of fresh vegetables. However, they are still learning and growing. Their understanding of the benefits of these dietary additions are not fully formed. Please be patient in understanding the limited knowledge they have. Focus on providing options and exemplify the need for vegetables by eating vegetables in front of them.
Serve vegetables as snacks
Many vegetables are actually excellent sources of fibre, which is important for good digestion and helping your child to feel full. Many vegetables also contain high levels of vitamins and minerals. This is great, but you probably can’t expect your child to eat large amounts of vegetables at every meal. Try serving vegetables as snacks between meals. This will help to keep your child’s energy levels up, while also giving them extra vitamins and minerals.
Don’t be afraid to use the word ‘no’ with your toddler (in moderation) .
Toddlers are incredibly stubborn, and the word ‘no’ will become your best friend. However, it’s important not to overuse it. When you say ‘no’ to your toddler, you’re not just telling them not to do something, but also that they’re not capable of doing it. This can actually hinder your child’s development, as well as damaging your relationship with them. When you say ‘no’, you want your child to understand that they can’t do something, but that they’re still a capable person.
Bottom line
It can be difficult to get your toddler to eat their veggies. However, it’s important that they get enough vitamins and nutrients from these healthy foods. With these 15 tips, you can get your toddler to eat their veggies without any problem. If you make small changes to your own diet, offer your child smaller portions of less healthy foods, and make it fun, you will soon find that your little one has a new appreciation for broccoli, and is keen to try out lots of new foods.
