Do you find that you need to hide veggies into your kids’ meals in order to deceive them into eating healthy foods?
Childhood is an age where stubbornness is at its peak.
This stubbornness then resonates in their picky eating habits. No matter how much you try, getting children to eat nourishing food is hard work!
Even if you don’t serve them junk food, they’re surrounded by it so help them make the right choices to grow into smart eaters.
Learn how to nourish your child by encouraging healthy eating habits.
Your child will always look towards your reaction to a certain food and if they see you happily enjoying it then they are usually more inclined to try it as well.
That being said I have one daughter who loves mixed salads and will eat her weight in it and her twin who won’t even touch it.
Getting children to eat nutritious foods can be a problem. So, what are some must-have foods for your kids? And what are various ways to get your kids to eat those foods?
1. Multi Grains
Multi grains are rich in fiber and other vital nutrients and are important for your child’s digestive system.
I know white bread can be pillowy soft with a melt in your mouth texture, but try not to even buy it in your house. If they only see whole grain options available to them, they’ll learn to love it.
If your kids do make a fuss about it, maybe try starting with a multi-grain pizza, or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Instead of using a normal pizza base, you can use a multi-grain base.
Use healthy toppings, consisting of veggies, pesto sauce, meats, and cheese. Let your kids get involved. Let them taste the ingredients one by one that go into making these foods so that they can feel a part of the process and want to taste what they’ve made.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are definitely a favorite in our house, especially with dipped with our no sugar added ketchup recipe that’s a cinch to make. This recipe uses dates to sweeten it so it’s a perfect addition of fiber.
Another amazing whole grain is Quinoa. It could also debatably be a seed.
I find that sometimes my kids will eat it by itself with some spinach and cheese mixed in. But other times my kids just want rice – white rice for that matter.
Which is okay, but to add some more nutritional value, I like to make white rice as two cups white rice and one cup white / yellow quinoa.
The kids don’t mind that at all as they’re getting what they want plus I get to sneak in some added nutrition. Win win!
If you’re looking for more quinoa recipes, go check out my blender quinoa waffles recipe. It can be made ahead and frozen for quick and easy breakfasts throughout the week.
2. Corn
Corn is one of our families favourite foods! Who doesn’t love a good corn on the cob or a bowl of sweet buttery corn?
With corn though, I highly recommend only consuming non-GMO corn. Corn is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
Loaded with vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins and carotenoids. Kids usually love it when it becomes a part of their diet.
You can start by introducing it to your toddlers to practice their pincer grip by picking up each piece one by one.
Or just boiling the whole cob and spreading some butter on it. My kids can eat cobs and cobs of sweet corn.
I do find that they don’t always chew it fully so when it comes out, I definitely know what they’ve eaten. If you know what I mean – wink wink.
Another snack idea is to make a bowl of it along with some veggies, lime juice and some tangy chutney as an evening snack.
See what flavours and toppings your kids like with their corn and make it into a corn bar where they can pick and choose. It will definitely leave your kids asking for more.
3. Oats
Oats are one of the best whole-grain foods. They boast a high number of vitamins and nutrients, necessary for the perfect growth of your child. Also a good source of protein and provide energy throughout the day.
Combine chocolate, cookie dough, and oats to create an amazing blend for your oatmeal cookies. You can even try adding raisins as an experiment. Let your kids choose their own toppings.
Steel cut outs are more nutrient dense so what I normally do is I’ll mix one cup of steel cut oats along with a cup of regular rolled oats and soak them together (usually overnight). Then cook them up in the morning for a super creamy and smooth breakfast.
4. Nuts (with Nut-free options)
Kids love to dip things. Hey! Even adults do too for that matter. Give them some veggies or fruits cut into stick sizes so that they can dip away.
Some of our favourites are peanut butter, almond butter, and chocolate hazelnut spread.
If you or your child has any nut allergies, there are so many alternatives on the market, like WowButter Or a tahini or hummus dip are also perfect.
I’m really thankful that my son’s school doesn’t have a peanut butter or any nut allergy restriction because he is a daily peanut butter and jelly sandwich kinda kid. And let me tell you that if I do put pecan butter or tahini instead of his peanut butter, I will hear about it later.
5. Fresh Fruit
There is no differing opinion when it comes to fruit. It is universally accepted that fruit is one of the most essential components of a diet, regardless of age and gender.
Kids can be picks about fruit. A great way to get them in their diet is by making smoothies.
These are super easy to make and you can always prep and freeze the ingredients in individual bags and freeze them.
While you’re making one for your kids add in double the ingredients and make one for yourself too!
Gather a few fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and kiwi. Toss them into the blender. Add in some milk, ice and yogurt, and blend! You can try out different fruits and flavours depending on your kids taste buds.
If your child is not a big breakfast eater, a smoothie is the perfect substitute.
Or if you find that after school your kids are always hungry in the car. Make a quick smoothie and pack it up for them to enjoy on the car ride home.
I know my kids love having snacks in the car right after school. My husband – not so much, as he’s usually (almost always) the one deep cleaning the car. Smoothies can be messy but they Boon soft lids and straws are the perfect saving grace.
6. Veggies
“Eat your greens” is a sentence that most kids hate. They simply don’t like veggies. But, it’s no secret that veggies are essential for your cognitive as well as physical function. My kids prefer their vegetables to be served to them separately. Like a big plate of only broccoli. No toppings, no mixing, no nothing. And that’s fine because that’s how they love to eat it.
That said, they also love eating zucchini muffins or bread. This is a great blender recipe that is also gluten free and it’s always a hit. Kids like this one because you typically don’t see any zucchini since it’s blended and not grated into the recipe.
Find out what textures and tastes your kids like and encourage them to eat that but also keep giving them new vegetables to introduce them and widen their palate.
Another tip would be to take your kids grocery shopping with you. It might not be as efficient but they definitely will love choosing the veggies that they’ll be eating later on. Regardless of if they actually eat them or not.
These are just a few examples of how you can encourage healthy eating habits for your family.
Keep introducing new foods to your kids. Child nutritionists say that it takes at least 20 times for a child to be introduced to a food to take a liking to it. Keep plating up the broccoli and put that fact to a test!
Don’t ever force a child to finish their food or their plate because that then creates an aversion to food and a disliking towards it. Food should be enjoyable and nourishing, not a punishment. If you find your child is wasting a lot of food, then serve them less. They can easily ask for more once they’re done. Here’s a good website to go to which outlines food portion sizes depending on your kids age.
Remember that even with the guide, each child is different so follow your gut as you know what’s best for your child.
We hope that you can use these tips and tricks to get your children to eat what nourishes them and is best for their growth.
xo, Zarine
