Would you like your child to eat their vegetables, but are tired of the power struggles? Do you worry that they are not getting the nutrition they need? Vegetables are an important part of supporting a healthy immune system, and with swine flu season upon us, parents are even more concerned about keeping their kid's healthy to prevent illness. A recent Wall Street Journal article links good eating habits with an increased ability to fight the flu. Here are some quick tips for getting your kids to eat their veggies.
1. Smart Snacking. Is your child starving by the time you are making dinner? Does she want to snack before you can get dinner on the table? Rather than grabbing the goldfish or pretzels, set out some carrots and other veggies with some light ranch or hummus dip for her to snack on. She won't fill up on them like she would with goldfish, and she is getting extra phytonutrients, fiber and and vitamins instead of just filling up. If you make sure their last carbohydrate "snack" is a couple of hours before dinner is served, they will come to the table hungry - and hungry kids are more likely to eat their vegetables.
2. Veggies First. Does your child leave his veggies on the plate "for last," and then claim he is too full to eat them (I know all about this tactic too well). Then try this one - before you serve dinner - just serve him his veggies. If that is the only thing on the plate, and he is hungry - he will be more likely to finish them.
3. Stop the Power Struggles. Has dinnertime become a battleground? Do you find yourself negotiating with your child to eat "just 3 more bites?" Try making it a game instead. Mini carrots are great for "crunching contests." Each person at the table takes a bite and they decide whose was the loudest. Before you know it, they have eaten all their carrots and want more to continue the game. Pretending veggies are animals or trees is also fun. When eating broccoli, pretend you are giants eating trees. Beans or aspargus can be snakes, and so on. Sometimes I tell my kids not to eat my "favorite tree," because I was planning to sit under it and read a book....in no time flat, that broccoli is gobbled up.
3. Use Spray Butter. Let your kid's "butter" their own vegetables with spray butter. If I butter the veggies before they hit the table, and it has melted in - my picky eater can not "see it." We love spray butter in our house. We put the steamed/roasted veggies on the table and then spray the butter on...or let the kids do it themselves if they are old enough. Spray butter has almost no calories, and tastes great. And they can see & taste the butter right on their veggies.
4. Sneak in Veggies. If your child will not eat veggies - go the sneaky route - hide them in their favorite foods. There are a couple really good cookbooks that teach you how to steam and puree veggies so they are easily concealed in kid-friendly dishes: Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, and The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine are great options. Even if your child does eat vegetables, it is a great way to make all foods more nutritious, more satisfying, and lower the glycemic response.
5. Add Whole Foods Supplements. Let's face it - eating vegetables every day is not easy - especially for on the go families. Many restaurants do not offer vegetables with their kid meals, so going out to dinner can be a big obstacle. Adding food-based supplements to your families' diet can help to ensure that everyone is getting nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. Juice Plus+® is a simple, convenient way to add a wide variety of fruits and vegetables each day - to fill the "gaps." More information can be found here: www.svancejuiceplus.com
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