Nutritious can be your comfort food and delicious too!
When March 2020 came it changed the world forever, from work set ups, recreational activities and even the basics of learning and going to school were forced to adapt into a more virtual and at home means. Even our priorities changed as more people took great importance in keeping themselves healthy while everyone is stuck inside their RFO house and lot. With health being the number one priority for everyone, you too should do your best to make yourself and your kids health at best shape at all times.
Every mom and dad out there knows the daily struggle: negotiating, wrestling, and sometimes just straight up begging your children to eat healthy foods. And why wouldn’t you? As parents, you always want to make sure that your children are healthy, but you worry that they’re eating other foods and not getting their nutrients because they don’t like eating vegetables and is not keen on trying out healthy eating habits. Maybe it’s because they don’t like the texture or because they don’t like the way that it tastes, or maybe its just that they are picky eaters but the vitamins and minerals in vegetables and in a healthy diet are essential for their growth and strength.
So how do you get your kids eat vegetables? Here are six clever ways you can try out in your home to convince them to eat more vegetables:
1. Pasta Sauces
Apart from the standard tomato sauce, you can also mix in some carrots and butternut squash into your pasta sauces. Their mild and sweet taste will add flavor to your sauces that can also be complemented by fresh herbs. Fresh pesto can also be made with spinach or broccoli — your kids will never know the difference!
Incorporating these healthy vegetables into their diet of pasta is a good way to convince them that eating healthy food is not bad at all!
2. Popsicles
A true stealth move: blending vegetables into your kids’ fruit popsicle mix. This way, the sweetness of the fruits disguises any bitter taste that they might not like in celery stalks or the skin of a cucumber. Making these fruit and vegetable popsicles are also a fun and different way to engage your kids in an activity together with a healthy and refreshing reward.
Another way to make their popsicles healthier is by opting to use fresh juices as the main frozen dessert. You can squeeze out some lemon juice, apple juice or even watermelon juice and let them freeze in your refrigerator.
3. Dips
Encourage your kids to use dips for their vegetables, such as a cheesy fondue sauce or ranch dressing. Alternatively, you can create veggie dips to eat their tortilla chips with. Some options would be hummus, which is made out of chickpeas; or salsa, which you can make out of fresh tomatoes and herbs.
You can try out different type of dips for them, observe what they will love and make sure to prepare a lot of those when you are preparing snacks for them to go to school or even on a movie night in your RFO house and lot.
4. Vegetable Pastries to convince them to eat veggies
Everyone is familiar with a carrot cake, but vegetables in cakes is not just limited to carrots. Beets can add that beautiful red pigment into your red velvet cakes, while mashed sweet potatoes can make for fudgier, denser sponge cakes. Zucchini bread is also quite delicious and can taste just like a nutty loaf, if not better! Don’t be afraid to experiment with the versatility of veggies.
You can do a quick search on the internet for more recipes of tasty pastries that you can make by using vegetables. For fruits, it can easily be utilized to make sweets, common fruits that are added in pastries are mangoes, strawberries, and apples. They can serve as garnish, toppings or even pureed as jam and fillings for your pastries. By doing this you will surely make the kids transition to eating veggies towards healthy living!
5. Chicken Nuggets and Burger Patties
You might be worried about buying those ready-to-cook chicken nuggets and burger patties because of the extenders that the manufacturers could possibly be putting in them. But if you make your own chicken nuggets and burger patties, then you can add finely diced vegetables into your ground chicken or beef for added texture. Think carrots, peas, onions, or even broccoli!
Getting your kids to eat healthy does not mean a strict transition to being a vegetarian. You can still serve them chicken, meat and beef but make sure to put in a healthier twist by adding thinly sliced or finely diced vegetables in the mix to make it a better meal for them.
6. Chips
Baking your own chips is not only the healthier option because you use less oil, but also because you can make chips out of many different kinds of vegetables. You can pick between the green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, or root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.
If you do not have a lot of time in your hand to prepare and cook these chips there are store bough vegetable chips that offers as a great alternative to common potato and salted chips available in the market.
These are just a few ways to get your kids to eat their vegetables. Trust that eventually, they’ll learn that vegetables in general can also be delicious in their own way — and this discovery can begin with these tips and tricks. And one last bonus piece of advice: You can get your kids more engaged and interested in their meals if you allow them to be part of the cooking and prep. It’s quality time that ends with a healthy treat. Win-win!
You can also set up a meal plan for the family wherein you can invite your kids to plot out the days when they want to have their favorite healthy meal, this will make them feel more excited in preparing and of course, consuming their nutritious meal!
Ensuring that your children are well-nourished and healthy is part of the beautiful life that parents wish for their families. It is a must to ensure that they have the best in life, may it be food, or a home. So get cooking and create yours now.
Related Blog: Food Alternatives for Healthier Living
