Introducing vegetables to your little ones can be a challenge, especially if they are picky eaters. Many parents default to steaming or boiling veggies, thinking it’s the best way to ensure their children get the nutrients they need for growth. However, this doesn’t have to be the only approach.
Don’t hesitate to experiment with different tips and tricks to get your kids excited about these nutritious foods. From experimenting with spices to making veggies resemble French fries, let’s explore some fun ways to make vegetables as appealing as chicken nuggets.
Incorporate vegetables into favourite foods:
Incorporating veggies into your little one’s favourite meals is a wonderful option to make veggies exciting. Using meals, they already know, and love will make the task a little bit easier. Foods like bolognese, spaghetti, pancakes or even scrambled eggs are great to pair with a variety of different vegetables. Simply chop, grate or shred the vegetable of your choice, into the meal for a more flavourful meal sure to have your kiddies asking for a second helping.
Play around with presentation and toppings:
Do not hesitate to let your kids help during meal preparation. Invite your kids to get creative in the kitchen, with their meals incorporating different shapes and toppings to make the meal exciting. Try using toppings like cheese, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes to make various shapes and faces.
Presentation can be key to making certain veggies appealing to children. Try serving meals on colourful plates or transforming the veggies into different foods e.g. serving carrots in the shape of French fries or turning butternut into heart shapes.
Explore different cooking methods:
Trying different cooking methods can be extremely helpful when introducing different tastes and textures to your children’s meals. Often just boiling or steaming veggies can be considered too bland for kids. We recommend roasting or sauteing your veggies in a small bit of olive oil, or unsalted butter to give the veggies some extra colour and flavour to draw them in.
Include a delicious dip or sauce:
Consider including a scrumptious sauce or dip on the side of the veggie plate. Adding sauces and dips that pair well with vegetables can give your meals additional depth and taste. Try some mushroom and garlic sauce, tomato sauce or even some peanut butter to get your little ones intrigued.
Adding herbs and spices:
Include some tasty spices or herbs in your vegetables to help expose your child to different tastes or textures. Garlic and herbs or vegetable spices will add a little bit of magic to your squash, carrots or sweet potato.
Compiled by: Katelin Maggott
First published by Food & Home
Also see: Perfectly braaied butternut: A game-changing twist you never thought you needed
