Vegetables can give your child a lot of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that can protect your child from chronic diseases and keep them full of energy. However, sometimes it can be a little tricky to serve them vegetables in their meals. An eight-year-old child must have 3-4 servings of vegetables everyday for good health. To make this possible we have come up with the best tips to encourage them to eat more of their veggies.
Kids love snacks. Vegetables make great snack options. When you avoid getting processed food for snacking and stock up on more vegetables, kids would turn to vegetables during snacking. Vegetable sticks with dips, sauteed peas, carrots, and soups make great snack ideas.
Involving kids in the kitchen is always a good idea. This way they come to know the process behind the preparation and get to be a part of it. This makes them realise the importance of food and its benefits. Take them out for food shopping and let them select their choice of vegetable. Explain the different advantages of having a particular vegetable. This will make them curious and interested.
Kids learn a lot from adults so setting a good example in front of them is very crucial. When they see their parents and siblings with a plate full of veggies they naturally want to do the same. Family lunch and dinners also help when everyone sits together and eats healthy. This promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Compliment the child on eating vegetables. This encourages them to do that more. Similarly giving a punishment when your child does not eat his vegetables sets a negative mindset for vegetables in the child’s mind. They would resent it more. Therefore encourage them in a healthy way.
Come up with different ways to present the vegetable to your kids. Eating the same type of food bores the kids so when you play around with the variety of vegetables, it appeals more to the kids.
While introducing any new vegetable to the child, keep in mind to serve small portions of it. Have patience. It is normal for kids to not like all the vegetables. Do not give up and eventually they will love it.