With the luck ‘o the Irish in the air, what better time to talk about our favorite things that are green — VEGETABLES! Yes, we know that not all veggies share this hue, but many of them do, and the darker their verdant color, often the healthier they are. If you’re here, we suspect this is not news to you. Perhaps you even share our zeal at the prospect of a bowl of roasted brussel sprouts or tender spring greens? The question is, how might you get your kids to proclaim such excitement at the V-word?
There must be something special in the air because we’ve uncovered a few ways to help you make kale more convincing than just a word to wear on a sweatshirt. Give these tricks a try at your house and who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky?
Just say, yes! To butter, cheese, and other kid-friendly flavor favorites. Just because you wouldn’t dream of dipping asparagus in barbecue sauce, doesn’t mean it’s not delicious – to a small person. Let you kids pair their greens with whatever sauces and flavors they enjoy. Chances are, once the food becomes less “weird,” they’ll no longer rely on additional flavors to make it palatable.
Who’s really in charge here? Let kids make a meal from a selection of veggies. This works especially well for anything that will be rolled up, like burritos, spring rolls and wraps. Chop up tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, salad greens and whatever else you have on hand and invite kids to get creative. If your kids tend to opt for the same vegetables every time, make selecting one new item a game. Pick one new vegetable to add to their meal and have them try to guess what it is.
Try something new. Rather than the same old sautéed or steamed vegetables, think outside the box with how they’re served and even the shapes they take. A grilled kebob is a lot more fun to eat than a plain old side of vegetables. Using cookie cutters on bell peppers and cucumbers sure makes them more fun to dip.
Enlist a new personal shopper. At the grocery store, let your child help select what you buy from the produce section. At home, they can also be in charge of washing and helping to select what seasonings are used to prepare their vegetables. The more involved a child is in the preparation process, the more likely they’ll be interested in giving this food a try come dinner time.
