Want Your Kids to Eat More Veggies? Time to Get Tricky
| 2 min read
Many kids will do everything they can to avoid eating veggies at dinnertime. Long after the main course is gone, the broccoli, green beans or carrots will still be sitting there on the plate. Even the promise of dessert may not be enough to get those veggies eaten! So try switching your tactic: Instead of serving the vegetables as a side, sneak them into your kid’s favorite dishes like macaroni and cheese and pizza. Your kid will get much-needed vitamins and nutrients and you’ll avoid a fight. It’s a win-win!
- Spaghetti: While you’re heating up the sauce (which is already full of healthy tomatoes), stir in shredded carrots and finely diced green peppers. The tomato will still be the strongest flavor, so your kid will be none the wiser.
- Tacos: After the ground meat is browned, mix in finely chopped mushrooms and sauté until they are cooked. They have a similar texture to meat and they practically disappear when they get covered in taco seasoning.
- Macaroni and cheese: Steam up some broccoli and green peas, then mix them into the final dish. The veggies will be covered with cheese and, if you cut them tiny enough, they will stick unnoticed to the pasta in each bite.
- Pizza: This one might sound a little strange, but stir in some canned pumpkin to the pizza sauce before you spread it onto your dough. It will thicken the sauce a little but the flavor won’t be noticeable. And try topping your pie with even more veggies before putting the cheese on.
- Grilled cheese: The classic bread-and-cheese sandwich is delicious, but not too nutritionally sound. Add some spinach, thin slices of tomato or even heart-healthy avocado in the middle along with the slices of cheese.
This blog post is part of #MIKidsCan, an initiative created by Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan to promote positive change in the health and well-being of Michigan youth. To learn more about the campaign, visit http://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/mikidscan
Photo credit: wEnDy
