How to get kids (and other picky eaters) to eat their veggies.
Posted: 06.08.11 Filed under: Food | Tags: cooking, eating, Food, fresh food, Hamburger Helper, health, healthy eating, Home, how to get kids to eat, kids, picky eaters, tips, tricks, Vegetable, vegetables 194 Comments »
It’s a struggle that a lot of people are facing these days: after having grown up on processed food, we’re finding out that eating stuff from tin cans, brightly-colored boxes, and greasy fast-food sacks is detrimental to our health, along with smoking, drinking, and all manner of other really fun things. In order to keep ourselves and our families healthy, we’re turning back to fresh foods–including that all-time kid-repellent food, vegetables. (Did I mention this can often be mom-and-dad-repellent, as well?) The only problem with changing our diets is getting our family members to eat the food that’s good for them. Some people are lucky and they have no problems with this. Others of us are not so lucky.
I have to admit that my husband is quite a sport when it comes to eating the food that I cook–if I make it, he’ll try it. Eventually. Sometimes I have to make it two or three or ten times, but he eventually gets curious when I’m enjoying something that much and he’ll eat it. But as Roseanne Conner said, “Do you think he came out of a box that way?” I’ve been wearing him down for years to open up his adventurous nature when it comes to food, and even now, it can be tricky. Recently, for example, we’ve been tackling the issue of eggplant, which my husband swore up and down that he hated. So, I haven’t had eggplant in years–he doesn’t like it, so I don’t buy it. I’ll buy other things that he professed not to like–like Brussels sprouts, one of my favorites–but I can’t for the life of me imagine what I would do with a whole eggplant just for me, so I generally skip it.
A few weeks ago, though, Mr. Geek came home with an eggplant-based pasta sauce. I don’t know if he just wanted to try it or if he just got it to make me happy (aww), but it turned out that he really liked the pasta sauce. So, I started to prod him with a few relevant questions.
“So, how have you had eggplant cooked before?”
“Umm, I dunno.”
Hmm.
“Was it fried or grilled, maybe? Eggplant can be kind of tricky if you don’t cook it right.”
“Uh, I’m not sure how I had it.”
Oh, really?
After a minute or two of squirming, he confessed: ”Okay, so, I’ve never actually had eggplant. My dad hated eggplant so I just figured I would too.” A-HA!
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the first time my husband has claimed he doesn’t like something, only to figure out that 1) he’s never actually had the food in question or he’s never had it cooked properly, 2) he actually does like it and maybe even loves it. If I left it at “I hate eggplant,” well, I’d never, ever get to cook eggplant again. I had to remain diligent, but I found a chink in the “icky veggies” armor.
For children and other picky family members who aren’t so willing to try new things, you may have to try different tactics to get them to eat their veggies. Don’t worry–I have a whole bag of tricks that you can try. As a person who, myself, grew up largely on processed junk and fast food, I have a wee bit of credibility in this area.
Also? I got my husband to LIKE Brussels sprouts. Yeah, LIKE. So read on.
Tip One: Realize that it’s a process.
If you want any hope of changing your meals from this:
to this:
(Okay, maybe not quite this.)
then you can’t expect it to happen overnight. Too much change and children especially will totally balk, in my experience. Start with your non-scary, non-threatening kid-friendly vegetables. What those are will probably depend on your kids; a lot of kids seem to like carrots, but I have always hated raw carrots (love em cooked, though). I didn’t like cucumbers either as a kid, but I loved broccoli, salad, and leeks. Introduce fresh vegetables a little at a time, at lunch and dinnertime, even breakfast–although I would not do snacktime veggies at first, there’s nothing that will make a kid hate vegetables more than to take away precious snacktime and replace it with something suspect. As your kids get more used to vegetables, you can start having vegetable-heavy meals once or twice a week when they’re ready. If you introduce new ingredients gradually in familiar surroundings, the change will be easier on your family.
Tip two: Cut down on processed food altogether.
If your want your veggies to have a chance, it’s a lot easier to pair them with grilled chicken than it is to pair them with chicken nuggets, or to get them to eat it if they know there’s not a can of Spaghetti-O’s waiting for them in the cupboard if they refuse. Processed food tastes “good” to us because it’s mostly sugar, fat, and salt; people are trained to crave these components, which is why junk food is so addictive (and can be hard to give up). Our palates are dulled by eating processed food; if you’re used to eating it, you won’t want to eat healthy foods. They’ll be lacking all of those addictive qualities. Cutting down on or eliminating boxed mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, Hamburger Helper, and other processed foods will make healthy foods seem more appealing over time as your taste buds readjust, and your veggies won’t seem to be such a hard contrast.
Also, use fresh veggies instead of frozen or–God forbid–canned. Some frozen veg is okay when used in soups or stews; I often use frozen peas in pasta dishes or frozen corn in soup. On its own, though, it won’t be nearly as good as the fresh variety. Canned vegetables are even worse; too-soft peas, mushy green beans, and all the added salt you could never want. Your kids will know what’s up if you try to give them these sub-par vegetables.
Tip three: Do anything, anything at all, besides plain boiling or steaming your vegetables (at first, at least).
While boiling and steaming vegetables are perfectly healthful ways to prepare your veggies–as long as you don’t cook em to mush–they aren’t that appetizing for people who don’t enjoy the pure flavor of vegetables. Sure, I love blanched broccoli with just a pinch of salt, but I’m not picky when it comes to vegetables; if you’re trying to woo a picky eater, they’re not going to be as happy about a plate of steamed green stuff.
Roasting is a good method for many vegetables; root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, yams, and turnips can be roasted, but so can broccoli, asparagus, or fresh green beans. I also like to sauté asparagus or green beans in a little olive oil after blanching them for a few moments in hot water; sometimes I top them with a tiny bit of fresh Parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano.. This gives them extra flavor, and olive oil is also very healthy so you’re not diminishing the healthiness of the vegetables at all. (I also sauté my Brussels sprouts, always–these can also be roasted). This is how I got my husband to start eating asparagus, actually; now, I usually steam or blanch my asparagus, and he still likes it. The simple trick is not to make them boring–without smothering them in butter, ranch dressing, or processed cheese-food sauce, that is. Use flavorful, healthy dipping sauces, toppings, or alternative cooking methods to give your veg some pizazz.
A few suggested pairings: asparagus or green beans with a small amount of parmesan and/or toasted almonds; green beans with a homemade teriyaki sauce and some sesame seeds; broccoli or green beans with tzatziki or other yogurt-based dip; roasted carrots; roasted butternut squash with chili spices (if your family likes chili, this is a big hit at my house); roasted sweet potato fries; if you get desperate–melt a little cheese (real cheese, not processed cheese food) over your broccoli–just until they get used to it.
Tip four: Integrate your veggies into a meal that’s so fun, they’ll have to eat it.
Come on, who’s not going to eat a veggie pizza? Take the vegetables your kids like–or can tolerate–and pile ‘em up on a crust with some sauce and a bit of mozzarella. Your kids might grumble that it’s not pepperoni, but they won’t find this nearly as threatening as a pile of weird green stuff on their plate. You can do this same trick with pasta (made even more fun with a dinosaur serving fork) or make a stir fry and serve it with those cute starter chopsticks. A veggie fondue would be really fun; a fresh cheese fondue (not processed cheese sauce) or another yummy sauce that they could dip into would be something different that they might really dig. This is not just sinister trickery to get your kids to eat veggies; nay, you’re also doing something very important: you’re creating good associations with vegetables. Bad vegetable associations can stay with your kids for a lifetime.
When I was a wee girl, my aunt and uncle were babysitting me; my uncle sat me down in front of a plate of lima beans and wouldn’t let me get up until I finished them. As soon as lima beans turned into a punishment rather than a food, my reluctant partnership with this food came to a grinding halt; to this day, I can remember how gross I thought they were, and I’ve never been tempted to eat them again. My grandmother, on the other hand, always made vegetables seem like a right and normal part of a meal; I was never pressured to eat salad, or leeks, or broccoli, but I loved spending time with my grandma and so I have nice associations with eating those things. (Also, she used to make a somewhat unhealthy but really tasty broccoli and sour cream casserole that I can directly attribute my love of even plain broccoli to today–another tick in the column for slowly introducing foods in desirable settings.) When you’re a kid, so much of what you do is emotional rather than logical or rational; it’s important, then, to make sure your kids feel good about eating these vegetables by giving them good memories to go with them.
Tip five: Get your kids involved before dinner hits the table.
Whether your kids are helping you prepare the meal, helping plan the meals, or even heading out to the garden or the market with you, getting kids involved in meal planning is supposed to boost their willingness to eat and enjoyment of vegetables. Asking your kids what kind of vegetables they want seems like a really sound place to start–after all, they can hardly turn their nose up at things that they picked out, right? (Okay, so, they can, but they’re less likely to do so.) Getting them into the kitchen helps instill that “I made it myself!” pride that makes kids take a lot more interest in something than if it magically appears on the plate; taking them to the farmer’s market or out to the garden can have this same effect. Even young kids like to have some autonomy, or at least some say in what goes on around them, so keeping them involved can help reduce the tendency to balk at eating their veggies.
Tip six: Don’t forget that fruit is healthy, too!
Using fruit in place of vegetables can really help boost your kids’ healthy food intake. You don’t want to rule out veggies–especially green veggies–but fruit has a lot of good vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants, and can often be a little more kid-friendly. Especially while you’re transitioning away from processed food, fresh fruit can help get those taste buds re-wired. Cut up an apple or an orange and serve it with lunch or dinner dinner, or a handful of fresh berries (great for antioxidants) or grapes, and this will probably be a great transition tool for your kids. (Of course, you don’t have to stop when you introduce more veggies–I often eat fruit with dinner, sometimes more than one kind!)
Bonus Tip: Don’t do this. Ever.
This is just way too much fun. Cough. And very likely, your kids will never eat fruits or vegetables again. Ever.
Do you have any picky eater tricks? Post them in the comments below!
Related articles
- 7 Creative Ideas to Pack in Fruits and Veggies (familydoctormag.com)
- Challenging my hate for veggie meals with homemade eggplant lasagna (chaswhole.wordpress.com)
I love this post! I’m fortunate to have two children who love fruits and veggies more than most foods — they’ve truly always had odd (as in, more grown up) palates. I remember their favorite foods as toddlers were salmon and cukes!
But these are absolutely great tips…
:)
You’re lucky! I always did like vegetables, too, but some eluded me until I was an adult. Thanks for stopping by!
Entirely entertaining! My husband won’t eat broccoli. I love broccoli, but I’d feel bad making it just for myself. Sigh. Perhaps I’ll try roasting it :)
The good thing about broccoli is that it’s easy to make, anyway–I say make it for yourself! ^_^ I used to do that with brussels sprouts until my husband found out he likes them. Now I have to share :\
Thanks for commenting!
I have also problem to eat broccoli
I will add this…if you have space to plant a garden, do so. With the kids helping. Why? Well, it gives kids the urge to try things that they helped grow. My DD, who has always liked veggies, has had the chance to try all sorts of new things, because we grew them. She picked out cauliflower and brussel sprouts to grow this year. She knows she like cauliflower-or white trees, or the stinky-fart trees-and when she learned the brussel sprouts were related-both being cruciferous veggies-she was more than willing to try them.
Yes, extremely good advice. Thanks for the tip!
As a 13 year old girl, I’m happy to say those veggies look much more appetizing than that burger and fries.. Too greasy :P Anyway, great post :D
Good to hear! ^_^
It´s not often we can hear a young person say so
Very practical advice. Thanks!
Thanks for dropping by! :D
Highly amusing and informative read! The photos help tell the story and relay the information in a way that makes the reader want to go grab a plate of veggies and dig in! Great post : )
Thanks!
Oh this is a great post. I have a very picky husband who won’t eat veggies. I’m just getting into veggies myself. But I’m thinking in the future. When we have kids, I don’t want them to be picky or too picky like mommy and daddy. So I will definitely keep this in mind for the future. :0)
I hope I can help! It definitely will help if you can turn your hubs onto veggies–a lot of kids get their anti-veggie attitudes from family members . . . which is why I’m trying to get my husband to eat his veggies now :D
I’ve been picky, too, when I was just a child. ahahha. And now I’m a grown up i eat anything. Lols. Kiddin
Thanks for stopping by!
hahaha this is great. I have met someone who shoved peas into her ears so as to not have to eat them at dinner (ensued by a trip to the hospital). Myslef, I used to hate my mum’s overbaked leek dish but now I can’t get enough of it. My kids eat tomatoes, lettuce, raddishes, potatoes, peas, asparagus and every type of fruit but show them a mushroom and they run screaming out of the run. I think as long as vegetables are kept fun, children go along with it.
Well done on getting freshly pressed!
Thanks! And, I hope she got the peas out of her ears :\
haha! Love this post! I think Tip #3 and #4 are extremely important. I do this all the time when trying to get my husband to eat just a little bit healthier. And of course, I am well aware that this is not going to happen overnight! :D
Congrats on making FP!
I find that the same tricks work on husbands and kids much of the time ;-) Thanks for stopping in!
Great post! Funny too! Yes I have a picky husband…but I learned the trick is, the more I harp on him to eat some green stuff- the more he refuses- so I have to let it go if he doesn’t want to have a salad for dinner or yummy asparagus with lemon. But I have to make what he likes, because I think for all picky eaters, there are going to be SOME veggies they do really like- so I cook those a lot. Another trick? Just hide them in the food! I love the book Deceptively Delicious!
That sounds like a great book! I’ll have to check it out :) Thanks for coming by!
Oh I am so going to try this out on my fiance :) Thanks a million :)
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out!
Great tips and congrats on Freshly Pressed.
Good advice. My kids are terrible eaters, so I am trying to ease them into veggies. By the way, I love eggplant as you do and my husband hates it. I buy myself an eggplant all the time and make eggplant parmasan (I make my husband chicken), or eggplant brucchetta (sp?) (use the eggplant as the base instead of bread). Also, even though my husband hates eggplant, he loves babaganoush (sp?).
That eggplant bruschetta sounds amazing! I’m going to have to try that sometime.
Girl you have a lot to say! I need to eat more veggies! Any advice for adults LOL
You can try all of the above :D especially the part about not making boring veggies or about making meals more fun. Thanks for stopping by!
Well I have to say you got me to feel ashamed, ashamed from when I was growing up and I refused to eat all the lovely food that my Mother prepared for the family.
Instead I ate a daily diet of burger and fries and still to this day I can’t abide fish, okay I can just about do Calamari, is that a fish?
Anywayz you would expect me to be the size of a house by now but a good honest woman came along and changed all that long after my Mother passed away.
So now I eat Broccoli and Suger Snap Peas, I eat Cabbage and Cauliflower and Tomatoes and other Vegetables and I thoroughly! I can’t bring myself to say that I thoroughly enjoy them because I really don’t but they’re better for me…I must be living longer as a result, a proven fact surely?
You know tonight my wife is out visiting her Dad I may just knock myself together a burger and fries, I would like to think that she would never know, but she would and then I would be for it.
Thanks for the post it was fabulous, and love your profile picture at the top of the page…I think we have some sausages in the freezer, oh boy I’m hungry now, nah! I’m settling for some salad…honest, trust me..
Hi I am new :-) I love your blog- very creative and a constant struggle for most!
We eat a lot of fresh veggies at home. My husband, though, will not eat the boiled variety – he finds them tasteless :)
I think a lot of boiling turns people off of vegetables–makes them mushy and flavorless if they get boiled too long, ick!
we will have to try your tips….even through we don’t have kids.
Congrats on being freshly pressed! I really liked reading this post. I was raised by a weight watchers lifer so I’ve liked veggies my whole life. They were constantly put on my plate in appetizing ways. Also, I’m not such a fan of fried and fatty foods (although of course I still indulge occasionally). I was shocked in college by the appalling lack of culinary skills and general distrust of veggies among most of my peers. I loved your suggestions of how to introduce kids to veggies; in my experience, I’ve just substituted “roommates” for “kids” and it’s worked like a charm. I did get a dear friend to like brussels sprouts and mushrooms by “hiding” the veggies in creative dishes and tasty sauces and later putting them in the meal more overtly. Great advice and thanks for writing the post!
That was me, growing up–total lack of culinary skills ^_^ I got my introduction to veggies when I worked at a natural foods store. Glad that you’re sharing the veggie love :D
Great post! My kids and hubby and I are doing a project this summer where we’re cutting out most processed foods, and we joined a CSA, and we’re trying to eat fresh local and organic foods. I definitely wouldn’t have won them over if I’d have served eggplant the first day, but I did have them eating kale by the end of the first week! Keep writing and I’ll keep reading.
That’s great! I thought about joining a CSA, but I’m a little frightened because it would be quite a lot for us to invest all at once, and if the crops fail we lose the money. I’m going to try buying from Farmers’ Markers this summer instead. How did you get them eating kale? ^_^
oddly enough my son loves fruits and veggies, but hates everything else. won’t do pasta, meat, potatos, eggs…he’s a weird one. he loves sweets though. doughnuts for every meal would be his preference.
Interesting. I’ve known a few kids who won’t eat meat or meat products.. I guess every kid is picky about something ^_^
very true. there is something in this for all of us. BTW love the pics, now I’m off to eat a few carrots:)
Eewww, carrots ;-) ;-) Enjoy! Thanks for stopping in!
The second I saw the first Bonus Tip Picture I absolutely cracked up. Nice post and congrats on Freshly Pressed :).
Thanks!!
I have a nephew who’ll only eat veggies if it’s dipped in alfredo sauce. He hates okra so I dipped it in the sauce and gave it to him. He licked the sauce from the okra and put the green pod back on his plate. The okra was steamed, maybe I should have deep fried it.
Ooh yeah, okra is a difficult one. It’s a little gooey/slimy and gets soft when it is cooked. I personally love it deep-fried.. I know that is not precisely healthful, but I am a southern girl, can’t help it ;)
Those are some great tips :)
Here’s one for the kids (and adults) that legitimately cannot stand the taste: cook the vegetables along with something sweet, like apples, or cook with whatever meat you’re preparing, to cover up some of the bitter taste.
One of the big reasons kids don’t like veggies is biological – when we’re younger, we are much more sensitive to bitter foods, and it’s instinctual to avoid them (because things that taste bitter are more likely to be poisonous). Unfortunately, some people (like me) never grow out of this. I have to force myself to eat veggies, and just about have so swallow them whole without chewing sometimes to get them down, because I am so sensitive to the bitter taste. Things that I’m told are “sweet” (like red peppers) or that “don’t have any taste” (like lettuce or celery) taste extremely bitter to me (salads are a nightmare – not only do I absolutely hate them, it’s rather embarrassing that I hate them). But, if they’re cooked into something (meat pie, spaghetti sauce, etc.), then they’re at least bearable. I’ve actually started to enjoy red peppers if they’re in meat pie or a sandwich (as long as the pieces are too big and they’ve been cooked properly), but still can’t stand them on their own. And I can (sometimes) deal with lettuce if it’s on a burger or sandwich, but cannot do salads.
Yeah, people have varying degrees of difficulty with those compounds that cause the bitter flavor. I’ve always loved veggies and salads, so I guess I don’t have that problem. Maybe you are a supertaster?
We must be doing something right in our house because this past Sunday when my 14 y.o. planned the menu, he included fresh green beans sauted with onion, bacon and a bit of butter. My non-green bean eater had to do a no-thank you but agreed these tasted better than most. Great post. I have to do the carrot fangs.
Sounds like you have a culinarian on your hands! Thanks for popping by!
Great post! I’ve done everything with my Mr. Little Picky Pants. Your post gives me encouragement to continue chipping away at his horror of veggies which came on suddenly around the age of four. Strangely, his sister will eat fresh veggies over pizza. With Mr. LPP I hide the veggies in the foods he will eat. For myself, there are only two foods I will never, ever eat again. Rattlesnake and brussel sprouts.
Rattlesnake–no thanks! (Love Brussels sprouts, though.) I wouldn’t worry too much about hiding the veggies for now; at least he’s getting them! Have you also tried fresh fruit and vegetable juice? We juice at home a lot; I’ll put celery and carrot and apple into my juicer and mix the juice with a fresh citrus juice. It’s sweet but healthy!
Great article. One of the best ways I have found to get kids eating veg is to actually get them involved in growing it.
At BigBarn.co.uk we have our Crop for the Shop initiative encouraging farm shops to give mums with kids a free pack of seeds, saying, ‘take these home and plant them and you might get a giant bean stalk, if not bring any produce you don’t eat back to the shop and we will sell it for you”
Great way to get kids eating cropping and earning, building a new LOCAL food industry!!!
Such funny pictures of what not to do!! haha!
For my picky eater, I use a large cheese grater to grate zuccini and carrots, then incorporate them into meatballs. I also add a cup of applesauce to pancake batter. My husband doesn’t even know they are in there!
XO
Jen
Those are some great hiding tips! No kid (or husband, or me) can resist meatballs :D
I don’t have kids, but I think these tips are great for adults too. I love about any vegetable, even Brussels sprouts! But steaming them does get old. And amen to no more processed food!
Amen, indeed!
Well, I am a picky eater. Most picky when it comes to dead animals though.
What got me trying new food was eating something an expert in his field has prepared (maybe just an expert for this one dish). From friends to chefs in restaurants and more recently an instructor in cooking workshops. It taught me how some food should or could taste – and then I made up my mind to try again, or not.
I also learned taste buds gradually adjust to a different diet. I grew up on sugar overload. While I still love sweet stuff, it has its limits now. I drink soda about twice a year, because I feel it’s disgustingly sweet.
It’s always a good idea to know how something should or could taste before giving up on it. My husband is always after me about fish, which I hate–but tried it many different ways and tried many different kinds before I gave up on it :D
Grilled vegetables, anyone? Cut tomatoes in half and throw them on a grill for a couple of minutes, strips of peppers and halves of onions as well – love, love my veggies prepared this way.
Organic veggies smell better and taste better (in my opinion), so if someone does nor want to eat non-organic ones, I kind of understand them – they all taste like cardboard. The cost in this season is very comparable and to my great joy, I find that organic carrots are the same price as non-organic!
Great post!
Thanks for dropping by! I agree, I love grilled vegetables–I always toss them on when we’re firing up the grill, especially corn (mmm).
Great article.thanks
Great post! I can totally relate. My 7 year old daughter and 39 year old significant other are equally picky about food, it doesn’t make it easy to cook! I would be easier if they were at least picky about the SAME foods… but no such luck. I’ll try out some of your suggestions, I’m a veggie lover to the core so it would be just amazing to get some more veggies on their plates!
I hope any of this helps! And if not.. at least vegetables are easy enough to prepare as a side for yourself ^_^ I’ve done that in the past many times as my husband becomes more acclimated to vegetables. Sometimes I find that he gets curious when he sees me enjoying them without him–that’s how I got him hooked on Brussels sprouts :D
Very interesting
What the hell is that snowman made of?!
P.S.
I just finished off what was probably the most tasteless apricot ever grown.
P.S.S.
My experience will not hinder me from eating apricots in the future.
1. Don’t know, don’t want to know, ick.
2. Sad face :(
3. Good!
What a useful post! Thanks for sharing :)
Congrats on being FP! I grew up on a farm – do I need to say anyomore – loved to eat veggies and fruits and in all different ways (raw, steamed, grilled, canned, frozen) – we did not really know what processed food was until my mom started working when we were in middle to high school. I try to eat as close to the ground as I can even now – growing my own veggies and fruits now in my own backyard. Sometimes it takes up to 10 times before liking a veggie or fruit and you have to try it different ways (i.e. prefer carrots raw, aspargus grilled, broccoli steamed, peas frozen and tossed in a stirfry. I have been guilty of tricking my husband into eating new fruits and veggies (usually will roast or grill a new veggie with ones he already likes – he doesn’t know what he is eating).
That’s so awesome that you had that experience growing up–I liked vegetables but I was largely raised on processed food, I had to really get into fresh foods on my own. Way cool!
Some great ideas, though ironic to read this tonight as I simultaneously pressed publish on a ‘tonight is burger night’ post! I love veggies, could happily be vegetarian, but think youre tips would work a treat for anyone with aversions. In my experience, broccoli haters tend to go nuts for it when steamed & served with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, or a drixxle of sesame oil. Also great for carrots, roasted beets etc. Balsamic is also a fab way to add zing to an otherwise routine veg.
Great tips! Thanks for stopping in!
You’ve been pressed! Nice, well done!
*curtsy* Thank you, my dear ^_^
Luckily I have 2 kids that will eat just about anything. But these are great tips! Thanks for sharing! :)
These tips are still perfect for all of the college kids who don’t think they have the time to cook something healthy every night!
Indeed! Even if you’re having a burger for dinner, you can still have a quick side of broccoli ;)
Great post! I am a veggie lover married to a devout meat-eater. We have a daughter (almost 2 years old), who has a very sophisticated palate for her age. Fortunately, she likes fruits and vegetables. She eats it like it’s going out of style. I don’t think we did anything special with her. I want to say she just watches me eat and likes to eat whatever I am having. The funny thing about kids is they just want to mimick their parents. Good luck with the transition. Let me know if you’d like to swap recipes.
I think that’s how kids start out, too–I imagine that some moms who are frustrated that their kids don’t like vegetables could probably look to Dad to find the source of the veggie aversion ;) (Or vice versa–don’t want to gender stereotype!) That’s wonderful that your daughter loves fresh food so much! I hope I am so lucky.
My son and husband love their veggies (mostly) but I still like to hide them in recipes like this:
http://dinnerfresh.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/ohmy-spaghetti/
Great post — I linked to it on my blog. If you feel like linking me back, I’m just starting out and could use the traffic. :)
Sure! I’ll add you to my blogroll.
thanks so much! dinnerfresh.wordpress.com. :)
What a great article! I avoided certain fruits and vegetables because I had no idea how to cook them. I think it’s so true that the way they are cooked can be the difference as to whether you like the vegetable or not. We started trying out different foods by ordering our local Good Food Box which delivers locally grown fruits and vegetables every two weeks. You never know what you will get and there is always a featured fruit or vegetable of the week with storage and cooking instructions as well as recipes that use all the ingredients in the box. We thought it was a good way to try new foods and also keep our cooking spontaneous so we never got in the same old rut of recipes. We use this program but there are many all over the world http://www.foodshare.net/goodfoodbox01.htm
I wanted to join a program like that, but it seems that all the one nearby have a huge upfront cost, which is a bummer. :( I’m glad you’re enjoying all of the fruits and veggies you’re getting!
It is hard since junk food ads are very competitive.
Lovely post, I could relate to so much…I always love vegetables..and love them to date.I just go gaga on seeing fresh green vegetables in the market and cant stop buying some.But unfortunately I know some of my family is not the same; and thus, I avoid cooking veggies and slowly am getting converted to a full meat eater!!But this post has inspired me again…and will give it a try and keep making interesting ,tasty vegetable dishes…thanks..
Glad to inspire you! And you know, sometimes just watching you eating and enjoying vegetables can make your family curious enough to try (my husband does this a lot when I cook something just for me–it’s like he can’t stand not taking part in something I am eating and enjoying). So don’t give up what you love!
I really love this site for healthy recipes (my kids do too actually!)
http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/recipes
Thank you for sharing!
Great read. I love the husband part.
It sounds like you prefer raw over cooked. Here’s one of my favorite, super simple, raw veggie recipes. It’s loaded with antioxidants. It will give you energy in the middle of the day and it tastes sweet so the kids don’t feel like they’re giving up sweets. I’m giving you the vegan recipe b/c you can substitute with mayonnaise but it sort of defeats the purpose since veggies are water-based and dairy causes disease. (I’m a vegan.) But either way…
1 beet
2-3 carrots
3 Tablespoons grapeseed mayonnaise (‘Vegenaise’ is the best -better than mayo)
*(optional) handful or 2 of raisins (golden or regular, without added sugar)
Shred all the veggies at a regular grate, not a fine grate. There should be equal parts beets and carrots. Mix in the Vegenaise (you are going to love it, I promise). Eat!
Here’s an Email for ‘Veg News Magazine. They are the number #1 magazine for vegetarians and every week, they give a free recipe.
VegNews_Magazine@mail.vresp.com
Thanks! That sounds great. I’ve actually had Vegannaise before and I enjoyed it a lot!
oh no, I said Veganeise! I didn’t mean that. I meant Annie’s Naturals Goddess dressing. SORRY. Senior moment.
You’re cool :)
Like this post. Useful tips to be applied at home. But I’m also struggling to encourage my Primary 2 students to eat their veggie. End of school academic year is approaching, and my students get used to the “force” I used when it come to veggie eating, they’re not complaining no more when veggie served in front of them. But still… they’re so happy when the school caterer didn’t provide any veggie :(
I grew up hating the taste of all raw and many cooked vegetables, and my parents accommodated my picky eating habits. Then I was twenty and living abroad for the first time, and I was served the most disgusting meat dish I have ever seen in my life (to this day!). From that day forward, I called myself a vegetarian. About a week later I went to a vegetarian restaurant and ordered a salad… my FIRST salad ever! And I loved it! I’ve seen research indicating that taste buds change over time, and since as adults we accommodate our own tastes (I mean, I almost never cook cabbage, just because I’m not a big fan) I think we owe it to kids to accommodate their tastes too (while ensuring they get the nutrients they need). In time their taste buds will adapt, and their preferences will change, and they’ll grow up to be A-OK, just like me!
(PS – Several years later I was back abroad, this time on holidays with my mom, and she made me take her to the restaurant where I had my first salad, and then she totally embarrassed me by telling the server that I ate my first salad there… at the age of twenty!)
i always been a pick eater…my mom gets annoyed! lol
[...] One of the things we have done is implement a reward chart for trying new (healthy) foods. Chickadee gets a sticker every time she tries a new food, and she has to try each new food up to 10 separate times (at least a bite) before she doesn’t have to try it (research indicated that it takes at least 10 tries) anymore. It’s a struggle that a lot of people are facing these days: after having grown up on processed food, we’re finding out that eating stuff from tin cans, brightly-colored boxes, and greasy fast-food sacks is detrimental to our health, along with smoking, drinking, and all manner of other really fun things. In order to keep ourselves and our families healthy, we’re turning back to fresh foods–including that all-time kid-repellent food, vegetables … Read More [...]
nice one! don’t spoil your kids with junks~~~
i love veges! they are yummy!
[...] It's a struggle that a lot of people are facing these days: after having grown up on processed food, we're finding out that eating stuff from tin cans, brightly-colored boxes, and greasy fast-food sacks is detrimental to our health, along with smoking, drinking, and all manner of other really fun things. In order to keep ourselves and our families healthy, we're turning back to fresh foods–including that all-time kid-repellent food, vegetables … Read More [...]
“Mr. Geek” haha! And I also liked your bonus tip.
Thanks! ^_^
I find it sad that a lot of people dislike veggies and fruits. Great post :)
You’re absolutely right about cutting out processed foods altogether. Growing up, my family rarely had junk food in the house. My mom would occasionally come home with a bag of tortilla chips (to accompany some homemade chili or guacamole) and we did have an emergency stash of kraft dinner at the back of the cupboard and an emergency lasagna in the freezer in case she had to work late, but for the most part it was all fresh and healthy. When I moved out, I had learned to cook proper meals from scratch and didn’t have to resort to ramen and fish sticks as a lot of my friends did. Great post!
Tortilla chips and homemade chili sounds amazing right now . . . mmmm!
Funny and comprehensive. When kids take part in growing vegetables from seed to plate, the flavor, texture, and overall experience becomes meaningful and relevant. As a teacher in an urban Title I school, our classroom vegetable bed has taught my students so much more than any U.S.D.A. pyramid or plate ever could. Keep it up.
Love this post! I’m picky when it comes to vegetables and I have been unsuccessfully tried to incorporate more veggies into my diet. I have a few favorites, but variety would be nice. Thanks for the ideas.
Great article! I have organic produce delivered to my home. Veggies are a big part of my diet, but I still really struggle with my son. I love the idea of getting him involved in preparing the food. That’s brilliant. Thanks for blogging about this!
Let me know if you and your son get in the kitchen together–I’d love to hear about it!
Oh, dear I’ve always had a problem eating enough veggies. I don’t dislike the taste of them, but it just takes a concerted effort to include them. This piece is definitely a valuable resource for anyone looking to adapt better habits. Thanks alot!
Great article. My daughter absolutely refuses to eat any vegetable that she can see, but we make a root vegetable and chicken soup, then puree it in the blender, and she eats it with no problem. Sure, some day I’d like her to not cringe when she sees green, but at least we are getting some veggies in her. And it absolutely helps to get her involved in the meal making process.
When I married, my husband and his kids ate 3 veggies…green beans, corn and potatoes. And not the healthy way either. I was brought up on a farm, so I love most veggies and fruits too. A few years ago I finally got them to try this combo, steamed either in the oven or on the grill in a foil packet:
yeloow squash
zucchini
brocoli
carrots
chopped into bite size pieces. Toss with olive oil, cooking wine or sherry, fresh basil and fresh garlic to taste. Put in foil packet and grill or bake for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies just get soft. Even my Brocoli haters will eat this dish!
Great post and I re-blogged before I even read the entire thing!!!
Thanks a lot! ^_^ that veggie dish sounds simple and good, which is a winning combination for me ;)
Awesome blog! Your insights will be really useful in the future!
Now I’m inspired…
A comment such as “My husband doesn’t like eggplant,” or “My kids won’t eat carrots” is really absurd. It all boils down to this. People like really well prepared food. Not just a sauteed vegetable sprinkled with a little balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Any food–eggplant,, carrots, Brussels sprouts, rib-eye steak won’t taste good if not well prepared. If you have to transition your family from eating crap to eating good food, why were you allowing that to begin with? It all boils down to this: learn to cook, really cook. Learn how to select the best ingredients and prepare them really well. Take a cooking course. No tricks. None of this “Eat your veggies.” Just set a platter of fragrant gnocchi with butternut squash or or a bowl of perfectly cooked orecchiette with Italian sausage and broccoli rabe in from of them. Say nothing. They’ll eat it.
Well, of course any food won’t taste good if it isn’t well-prepared; that’s like saying that any tea won’t be sweet if you don’t add sugar. To say that my husband doesn’t like eggplant, though, isn’t really absurd–many people have foods that they don’t care for, and everyone’s palate is different because everyone’s mouth is different. There are even people called “supertasters” who can’t abide certain kinds of foods, like cruciferous vegetables, because they have a lot of taste buds and cruciferous vegetables have compounds that produce bitter flavors. In this case, it isn’t a case of taste buds but of bad associations with eggplant. My husband was making food associations for 26 years before I ever got to cook for him, so it’s not surprising that some of his food “dislikes” required a little coaxing.
As far as “no tricks,” you’re saying a lot by assuming that every person who has posted their similar tale is not a good cook, or that I’m not a good cook (hint: everyone who’s eaten my cooking has told me I should do it professionally). What it boils down to is that food is not simply an exercise in taste–eating is extremely psychological. Picky eaters are not prone to throwing caution to the wind and trying new things, that’s why they’re considered picky. Is it so wrong to try to give them new foods in familiar settings to acclimate them? Is it such a terrible crime to do one’s best to give veggies the best possible chance of being successfully eaten? I’m not sure I understand your aversion to this.
(Also, while your dishes sound lovely, I can guarantee you that if you set these platters in an elementary school cafeteria–especially in the south, where I grew up–not every kid is going to dig in, and a fair amount of them will probably leave the broccoli rabe in a little pile and just eat the noodles and sausage.)
As far as why people were allowing their kids and family to eat “crap” food, sometimes it comes down to preference and education. If you grew up eating processed food, and didn’t find out how terrible it is for you until later, how were you supposed to know until you learned it? Or sometimes people prefer the taste of junk food–which is, again, right in line with what evolution has programmed people to seek out for food, foods that are high in calories, sugar, salt, and fat–and ignore all of the stuff about eating ‘healthy,’ but have a change of heart when they see that their kids are getting obese or having health problems. Why the change is being made is not as important as that they’re doing their best to make the change. We don’t have any right to be judgmental of others because we don’t know where they’ve come from.
This is so great! Thanks for sharing. The tips are great; the pictures are funny. We should all be encouraged and challenged now to incorporate veggies into our daily meals.
Love the hilarious pictures. My sister and I are keeping a garden this year. It’s amazing how much better vegetables taste when they’re fresh.
Such truth! I went from a nearly all processed-foods diet to a nearly all raw foods diet this year. You hit the nail on the head. A bit part is being creative (like not steaming everything and eating it plain). It’s definitely worth the work. I’m never going back.
Great post! Keep it up.
Jordan
View my latest post here
practical tips coupled with attractive photos, make this post interesting
This is awesome. My boyfriend is an extremely picky eater, and coupled with food allergies (if certain veggies aren’t cooked enough they actually make his throat itch) we’re having a hard time getting the processed foods out of his diet despite the fact that he wants them out. I hope I have as much luck introducing newer veggies like asparagus and brussels sprouts as it sounds like you have!
ps the “I don’t like it even though I’ve never eaten it” thing hit SO close to home here!!
Try sautéing asparagus and Brussels sprouts, or roasting. I find it adds a really nice flavor that can overcome the fear of the green veggies! And as I said to someone else, if you make and enjoy them for yourself, without expecting him to eat them if he doesn’t want to, sometimes, he’ll come around–wondering what he’s missing that you’re enjoying so much. ^_^ (That’s how I got hubs to eat Brussels sprouts–I just made them for myself, didn’t even offer him any because he professed to hate them. Eventually it was.. “Could I try a little bit of your Brussels sprouts?” to “Could you make me some Brussels sprouts to take to lunch?” ha!)
As a vegetarian living with meat eaters (what my blog, The Joy of CoExisting is all about) I really struggle with getting mu kids to eat vegetables. I always finding my self finely grating them or throwing them into a food processor just to sneak them into a dish!
Oh no :( That sounds rough–vegetables are so great! Do you cook and eat nice vegetable dishes for yourself? I find I can often entice my hubs by thoroughly enjoying my food without expecting him to eat any–he starts to wonder if he is missing something ;)
Very useful article, tips worth spreading. Addition to the tips given from the author and comments, I’d like to add that perhaps a glass of blended vegetable would also be nice. Orange juice mixed with carrots and beat roots for instance. More recipes with their nutrition facts can be found here. http://www.juicingbook.com/vegetables
I simply could not agree more with your entire post. I write my blog because I find too many adults are terrified of veggies and healthy food sounds unattractive and unappealing! Veggie pizzas and quesadillas…. can’t go wrong! Was just writing about what I call a “quesapizza”: http://theadventuresofculinarylin.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/quick-healthy-pizza/ Thank you for this great post!
Great post! Congrats on being FP, and your post certainly rang true with me…. I’m always trying to get new vegetable exposure in our household!!
This was great! My favorite veggie to sneak into meals is zucchini. Finely chopped, I mix it into turkey burgers. Absolutely delicious, doesn’t taste veggie-like, and keeps the burgers moist. I’m still working on getting my little guy to eat non-hidden veggies! :) Thanks for sharing your tips!
Zucchini is definitely not as scary of a vegetable as it may seem, being all green on the outside ;) I like to use a vegetable peeler to make it into “noodles” that I can toss with sauce or add to a salad. They’re very tender and not vegetable-y at all!
Very good post! I will remember it later when I have a children. (I believe it’s still over 10 years again :P)
great tips to do. but i hope i can see the sample of the food from veggie that have you made for your kids.. ;)
you have given very valuable tips. Very sensible and practical.
stumbled upon your post via you being pressed. thanks for making me smile! i’ve been touting your tactics and sneaking them into dinner parties with friends for years. LOVE. IT. also, i get fits when i don’t have my greens – the mister can attest to the somewhat frequent midnight grocery run to find a head of cabbage or lettuce to cook if i haven’t had my leafy greens.
I feel the need to speak out against efforts to secrete vegetables, etc. in foods. I’ve had people do this to me with certain foods I have deep loathing for, and you run the risk of engendering nothing but bitter feelings and a sense of betrayal when you get found out.
That said, when I was young, I thought I hated onions. Then, my gramma let me know that one of my favourite dishes in the whole world contained onion, and that it was an integral part of the flavour of that dish. Not only that, but onion was in almost everything she ever cooked, and I ate that stuff, didn’t I? I gave over – grudgingly, at the time – and now think there is no better compliment to many a meal than a slathering of well-caramelized onions. I had a similar experience with mushrooms, and wound up loving them too.
One last thing, about changing diet. Our household went Paleo (no grain, no dairy, no legumes) just a few months ago. Now my boyfriend, formerly an adamant celery-hater, will actually go out of his way to get his hands on the stuff. I think that by removing certain things from our diet, we’re able to more clearly hear what our bodies cry out for. Just my two cents.
I think parents should just avoid the bad food/snacks to begin with. A child won’t want something they have never had. if you start them on a whole foods diet and don’t allow the other crap, it is much easier.
But if you HAVE given them the taste of the bad stuff, THEN you have to explain to them that you aren’t doing int anymore and why. Parents are in charge. The kids should respect the authority (of love) and eat what is provided.
Yes–I agree that one should avoid the processed foods altogether if they haven’t introduced them yet. I think that taking the “I’m in charge” attitude can be very tricky, though. After all, you don’t want your kids to revert later in life ^_^
When children are old enough not to run around, take them grocery shopping with you several times a month. They will not learn how to buy quality, good priced fresh veggies unless they are shown. It’s just faster and more fun to learn by showing instead of having them read an article.
My sister is a family medicine-emergency services doctor. She has 2 young children, 1 yr. and other 3 yrs. old. Her advice as a doctor AND mother: Keep on trying the different vegetables with kid …several times. even 10 times. She believes alot of parents give up too fast.
She was feeding her eldest at 1 yr. old, cooked butternut squash, and sorts of cooked chinese greens. Same technique used by by mother. Food was never used to reward us or punish us (ie. withdrawal of any healthy food is just dumb.)
Just don’t even buy processed food except maybe occasional cereal food and cheese. If you want to call cheese “processed”. Still processed cheese slices is better than no cheese.
I was born in CAnada but grew up on a diet for first 21 yrs., where my diet was 80% Asian. Every dinner at least had veggies.
Thanks for stopping by :)
Just a note on processed cheese: Some cheese is made naturally, this is different than “processed cheese food,” which usually has preservatives, extra salt, and chemicals added to it. I personally find it suspicious, but the extra salt alone would cause me to stay away from it. Plus, the milkfat that is supposed to be beneficial to children is lower in processed cheese–a lot lower. That’s why I caution against using it in lieu of real cheese.
We also had 1 chocolate divided across 3 children (there were 6) and of course, being poor, was a great reason for parents squelch any whining..
Ironically we would have junk food, chips, cake, etc. for “special” times of the year, Christmas, birthdays. But no big deal was made about it when served to us.
So learn to serve food with some meaning (for us it’s cultural) and thought. But don’t make it a huge healthy lecture for child. The less fuss made by parent, the bettter. It’s just healthy food after all, no point creating it as a big event.
Great post and really helpful tips! I constantly try to get my young daughter and husband to eat more fruits and veggies. I’ve used the hidden veggie purees in foods, which has worked well. But it’s like pulling teeth to get them to eat healthy food like that on a regular basis. And we don’t even eat processed food. I appreciate your great tips!
Great & nice tips. It will be useful for kids who are around me :)
These tips are surely awesome! I’ll save these for my mother so that she can feed us the extra veggies:]
Well, I like to eat vegetables like potatoes, onion, carrot, cauliflower, cabbage……the list is somewhat endless. I live in Bhubaneswar, India, so my mother doesn’t get frozen peas or noodle cups even from the supermarket. Paked soup and noodle packets are our junk food along with some cream biscuits.
Well, olive oil is not so healthy as you think. I had read about it in a magazine. Also, instead of fruits, you can introduce dry fruits like almonds for your kids.
Actually I’m a 15 year old so don’t take anything to the heart if I’ve hurt you……….
I just wanted to give you a few tips:]
Thanks for this awesome advice, mam.
Debashrita
Olive oil is still as high in calories as any other fat, but it has beneficial qualities that make it superior to many other kinds of fats (like butter, which is saturated animal fat and not as good for the body). One doesn’t want to overuse olive oil, but as fats go, it’s a good one.
Thank you for replying!
EEEEEWWW Brussels sprouts :’(
You mean YUMMMMMMM :D
Great entry – I’ve just had a lunchtime carb overload because I couldn’t bring myself to have the salad options and consequently lethargy set in for the afternoon.
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very useful article, tips worth spreading.!! i would perfer to eat vegetables and fruits than junk foods.
Thanks for help, its a very very very useful article !!!!!
please open my blog here :
http://20thingsiwanttodoinlife.wordpress.com/
Nice…
Hi, you definitely don’t want to try this.
If the kids want hamburger, feed them ALL hamburger morning till night and in super large portions. Hopefully they get sick and phobic of it for a long time after 2 days ;)
LOL! No, that’s not something I’d want to try–partially because I don’t know if it would work, partially because I’d be afraid that it would work and I’d never be able to eat a hamburger again ;-)
Great post – very interesting and well written. Thankfully, I love fruit and veggies, but have struggled with my weight for years none the less. Although I eat a pretty healthy diet, the health and lunches of some of the kids that i teach really worries me sometimes – I hope ore posts like this will start to get out to parents!
I like to eat vegetables and fruit.
One of my friends told me if her daughter won’t eat her veg she just leaves it in part of a room she is not suppose to go and sooner or later she is eating them! I haven’t tried it yet but i see how it could work.
Well done. You’ve provided so many I-win-you-win solutions for kids who dislike vegetables.
Wonderful post! I started out as veggie lover when I was a kid, then one fateful day took a bite of broccoli and went BLEARGH… I stopped eating them until my dad practically forced them on me when I was seven. Now I love vegetables (and fruits) and guess what my favourite one is. That’s right. Broccoli.
Congratz on being Freshly Pressed!
Thanks! Glad you came back to the green side ;)
Congrats on getting FP.
What a great post, I agree with what you’re saying completely. Today I saw a canned soup that heats itself up – seriously?? It’s sad that many food companies continue to produce junk and poison our kids. I’m no saint, vegan or complete naturalist when it comes to food, but I like to cook from scratch and use all sorts of fruit and veg and meat in my meals.
Getting kids to help out in the process and talking to them about the benefits of different veggies is the best way to get them to become curious and eat them. I know this first hand with my partner’s kids. And my partner, who used to be a lot like your Mr Geek, but has now emraced trying everything once and “trusting” my cooking and food judgments in general.
Thanks again for sharing the tips with us.
That’s so nice, that your partner will try everything. My husband is usually game to try things, too, but I do confess that I often avoid really scary ingredients ;)
Canned soup that heats itself . . . . . . yick.
My kids are fast food addicts. I am seriously going to try your tips. Thanks for sharing.
Great post? Question though, are our hubby’s related? They sound an awful lot alike! :)
Oh, probably ;) If so, they seem to be part of a large family, a lot of women seem to have hubby vegetable troubles!
Great post about a very important and relevant topic!
My husband’s family has always farmed so he was involved in raising most of the food he ate throughout his childhood. I was raised on fish sticks, mac-n-cheese, and spaghetti o’s. As a result, I was a much pickier eater!
I learned to eat vegetables first by covering them in cheese and then by roasting them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Now I eat them raw or steamed and actually enjoy that veggie flavor!
Our children were raised eating vegetables. They all enjoy them along with a wide variety of other food. Our 3-year-old eats sushi and astounds everyone, especially my parents, the fish sticks royalty.
lol! You and I are living proof that one CAN be taught to love vegetables, even if we grew up on processed food. (My dad actually worked for a food distributor for awhile, I cringe when I remember that dinner used to be deep-fried chicken strips and fries, with NO vegetables whatsoever). That rocks that your 3-year-old eats sushi! I have a friend whose toddler also eats very fresh foods; getting kids to eat healthy is certainly not a lost cause!
[...] http://thegreengeeks.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/how-to-get-kids-and-other-picky-eaters-to-eat-their-ve… [...]
I think I need to come over to your house and learn how to do some cooking. I will be the first to admit that I am NOT a veggie fan. I can eat fruits all day long but when the topic turns to vegetables I get a little antsy. I can eat carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, waterchestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, green beans, and asparagus, but that’s about it. At least in any healthy medium. Cuz oh damn I can eat the hell out of some fried zucchini or morels.
I’m totally on a new kick to lose weight and stop smoking (I haven’t had a cigarette since Monday afternoon, Suz, can you believe it?) and I want to start making healthier dinners.
If you want to come learn how to cook, I will surely teach you. I am also quitting smoking right now! Congrats on not smoking since Monday. And I am getting ready to embark on weight-losing (which I can’t believe that you’re doing :D cos you don’t seem to need it, but if you want to do it then I’m not gonna be all “Grrrrl wth!!??!?!”).
All that list of vegetables above is a good start, and you could probably do well enough just on those things if you never warmed up to another veggie in your life, as long as you ate plenty of the green ones :D. And fruit healthy, too, so don’t discount it–it’s all full of antioxidants and stuffs. You can always try expanding your veggie repertoire slowly; sometimes you gotta have it cooked a certain way before you can really start to like it. How do you feel about lettuce?
OOoh, we should start making fresh juice–then we can hide the vegetable flavors in fruit and you won’t taste em so much :D
I don’t have kids yet, but this is definitely a great post! I will keep all these tips in mind for the future. :) Thanks!
I know the feeling of dealing with a picky eater! My boyfriend is the same exact way. He’ll say he hates something and I’ll ask him how he has had it cooked in the past and he would claim that he “didn’t remember.” So, I’ve started to sneak some vegetables into his foods.
For example, he claimed to HATE onions. He couldn’t stand the crunch of them or the strong flavor. So when cooking meals I would add in some small slivers of onion, and cook them down until their state of looking like a noodle. He didn’t complain. So, I slowly started to allow them to keep their crisp-ness (the way I like it) and he likes them now. Only when they are cooked. But, this is a much better start from when he wouldn’t even allow them to be on his plate. I’ve done the same thing with peppers, and he LOVES peppers now.
Oh, we had the same thing with onions. Then I found out he loves cooked onions . . . then I found out he loves raw onions on tacos and in fresh salsa . . . . so what he really doesn’t like is large slices of onion on his sandwiches. Sometimes it takes awhile to dig through those layers, but I’m always glad when “I hate onions” turns into “I only hate big slices of raw onions,” ha!
Sounds like you’re doing well, keep it up! :D
Thank you! I really enjoyed this post as I have had the same problems with my partner and a variety of foods. Luckily, after six years, he has expanded his culinary tastes somewhat and I am very fortunate that he likes eggplant (Melanzane Parmigiana is so much easier to cook for two people!).
I understand how difficult it is to get kids to eat veggies as I used to be the sort of child who would only eat them in liquid form. However, now I love all types of fruit and veg and think that they are a great addition, or staple, for any dish. When I have children I shall definitely be using some of these tips.
Best
Lucy
I don’t have kids. In fact, I’m a teen myself (17). I can honestly tell you I really dislike junk food. Burgers, fries, even pizza. I don’t like them. The only time I’ll eat them is if I’m eating a meal at a friend’s house (to be polite to them and their parents) or if we’re celebrating a special occasion (like a birthday). Other than that, no. I won’t eat junk food. I love most vegetables and all fruits except avocados (I’m allergic to them).
While I’ve never exactly been a junk food fanatic, even as a kid, I have to admit I think my strong dislike of it comes from watching my mother as I grew up. She was a junk food addict. She ate fast food almost everyday. She wasn’t overweight like most people would probably think, but she was unhealthy. She was active, but that still wasn’t enough to compensate for her poor diet. I remember always worrying that something would eventually happen to my mom.
A couple weeks ago, she died of a severe heart attack. That was the result of years of her not taking care of herself. Of course, I love her and miss her, but, as bad as it is to think this way, I can’t help feeling it’s her own fault in some ways.
I didn’t mean for this to turn into a sob story, so sorry for that. This post just made me remember her junk food addiction was all.
Thank you for sharing that, Kae Lily. I’m so sorry that you’re missing your mom.
What a great post! Very entertaining and informative!
Great pictures!
I’ve about given up on my veggie-refusing husband. However, I do give him lots of praise when he picks out fruit over something processed. Any tips on getting stubborn husbands to eat veggies, short of hiding it in foods via Jessica Seinfeld? (I don’t want to be dishonest with him.)
Loved the post!
My basic plan has been to do everything I can short of slathering them in unhealthy sauces or deep-frying to make veggies more palatable, like serving them with a sauce, or topping a pizza with them, tossing them with pasta, using them as taco filling (Mexican-style tacos can be very healthy and full of veggies, but since they’re tacos, guys are usually okay with eating fresh salsa and other taco toppings!), et cetera. Some advice I’ve given some people above, too, is definitely keep making them for yourself, even if you don’t expect him to have any. Sometimes, the men start to feel left out and ask to try what you’re eating!
Don’t be dishonest. Most peoples’ objection to veggies is taste or texture, rather than moral or on principle. Does your husband like spaghetti? (I’m shamelessly plugging my own recipe here…) My husband hates carrots, but knows they’re in this sauce and loves it anyway.
http://dinnerfresh.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/ohmy-spaghetti/
(i’m sorry, greengeekgirl, but these blog post comments just BEG for my spaghetti recipe, so i’m sprinkling it around everywhere! yours was the first cooking blog i found that i wanted to link to, and it was because of THIS post!)
No problem :D I want people to get all the tips they can get. It’d be really weird if you started leaving your spaghetti recipe on like political posts, though. Ha!
hahaha! that would be kinda funny. ;) don’t worry, though. :)
I can’t agree enough with #5. I started expanding my palate once I got into cooking.
[...] How to get kids (and other picky eaters) to eat their veggies. (thegreengeeks.wordpress.com) [...]
That probably explains why I’m not a fan of green beans, I had the same situation as your lima beans. I lucked out that so far my baby isn’t a picky eater. I blend and she eats it.
Another trick my friend does is puree a bunch of vegetables and makes a spaghetti sauce out of it. Her kids and husband eat it and don’t even know they’ve eaten all their veggies.
Great post! Thanks!
It isn’t so much that you lucked out, as that you made the decision to feed her healthy foods. At this point, this is what she knows. It is up to you to make sure that it stays this way. My son has now experienced “junk food,” but probably 70% of his diet is still fruits and veggies, because it’s what he learned to like because that’s what we fed him as a baby and into his toddler-hood. I rarely get to eat much of my broccoli because he steals it all. So good job to you for starting your little girl out right! As far as spaghetti sauce goes, you don’t necessarily have to puree — I grate or peel. My husband loves this sauce, even though he knows that there are carrots in it, which he hates: http://dinnerfresh.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/ohmy-spaghetti/
My boyfriend detests veggies. He’ll have potato (skins with cheese and bacon bits all over it) and mushrooms but won’t touch the green stuff. He’d actually individually remove bits of veggie from fried rice. How can I possibly get him to split a salad with me next time we eat out? Haha!
It really is a process. I am finally getting my husband to enjoy (not just swallow) veggies and healthly food. It’s been 5 years in the making, though, to transform those eating habits. Great tips!
Am i allowed to tell about a book with a good recipe in it?
Ming Tsai’s One-Pot Meals (better than it sounds) has a great lamb with eggplant dish. The lamb is cooked and then sits on top of an eggplant that’s been cooked, and the savory juices of the lamb seep into the eggplant, and there’s a tzaziki on the side (yogurt,cucumber, mint, etc.dip), and the whole thing works and now my kids love eggplant that way.
THANK You and all the commenters. I grew up on canned vegetables and iceberg lettuce with bottled dressing.
Learning to live at 51 years of age, slowly but surely.
Its really nice and so helpful for every one that love there kids!
Reblogged this on Weight & Wellness Center and commented:
Another helpful guide
Quite right, the huge amount of advertising on the TV also has a huge effect