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Ingenious Methods For Getting Kids To Eat Their Veggies

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Kids don’t want to eat veggies. It almost seems like a fact of life, like death and taxes. But, for some reason, some parents manage it. Their kids seem to wolf down carrots and broccoli every time they put them on the table. How do they achieve this semi-miraculous feat? Well, you’re about to find out. In this post, we take a look at some of the incredible tactics that smart parents use to get kids to eat their veggies. Read on to learn more. 


Put Them In Your Desserts


In the east, it is completely normal to put veggies in desserts, but in the west, we’re a little squeamish about it. Carrots are okay, but anything beyond that is downright weird. 


The trick here is not to tell your kids what’s in their desserts. Just make them as you normally would and then put them on the table. Then see if they notice anything. Chances are, if you add enough sweetener, they won’t be able to tell the difference between your desserts and the real thing. 


Ask Them To Prepare Meals With You


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Here’s another tactic that works a treat: asking your kids to prepare meals with you. The psychology behind this one is quite interesting. 


When you prepare a meal, it feels like you are imposing something on your kids. You’ve made it, and they have to eat it. 


But when they make their own meals, it doesn’t feel that way at all. In fact, the sense of ownership they have makes them want to eat it even more. 


They don’t have to do everything themselves. But if they put effort into a meal, they want to be rewarded by the end product.

Prepare Vegetables In A Different Way


While steamed broccoli is healthy, it’s not the sort of food that children want to eat on a daily basis if they can avoid it. Some will grudgingly gulp down their greens, but kids like those are few and far between. 


The trick here is to prepare vegetables in a new way that they will appreciate. For instance, this fried okra recipe shows what’s possible. Kids are unlikely to refuse food if it looks delicious and tastes great. Plus, they are more likely to consume it if you serve it with sauces on the side, like ketchup. 


Make Vegetables Into Fun Shapes


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Another strategy is to make the veggies into fun shapes to make them more appealing to kids. Just arranging them in a smiley face on the plate is often all you need to do to tempt them to eat. It’s almost miraculous. 


Put Small Amounts Of Veggies In Classic Favorites


If your kids love spaghetti Bolognese or chili, you’re in luck. In recipes like these, it is incredibly easy to hide veggies. You just chop up a few carrots and onions and, all of a sudden, they are eating mixed vegetables without even realizing it. What’s more, it can actually enhance the taste of the food for them, encouraging them to eat more of the dish in the future.


Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hungry-ethnic-child-eating-ripe-orange-in-studio-4546118/

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