Creative ways to get those picky eaters to eat their veggies!
Nothing is more challenging for a parent, than to convince their kids to eat vegetables once they've hit a certain age. So how can you get those finicky toddlers to eat their veggies? There are more ways than you think!
1) Make them off limits!
That's right. The quickest way to grab a small child's interest is to tell them no. If you make vegetables something for "Big People", they will immediately want them. Don't buy it? Try it. Grab a handful of baby carrots, put them in a bowl, and plop down on the sofa. Make a big deal of making yummy noises. Little eyes will immediately turn to you.
Can they have one? Well, I'm not sure---hmmm? These are sort of for big people. Make a big deal out of letting them have one. If your child genuinely does not like carrots it may not work, but if he or she does, you could be in business.
2) Let them pick!
Children are much more open minded about new things when they have a hand in planning. When you begin to peruse your vegetables for the evening meal, get their input. Would you rather have corn or green beans? Do peas sound good or would you rather have squash? When you serve the vegetable portion of the meal, make a point of saying, "Here's the ____ you picked out! Good job. I love ____ too."
3) Creativity
If you want your child to try carrot sticks or celery sticks, make them pretty. Cut their sandwich into triangles and arrange the vegetable sticks like butterfly wings. Or try giving them a small plastic bowl of their favorite dressing or dip. Stick the carrot or celery sticks in the dip like little flags. Kids love to dip and they love to dig into anything that looks cool!
4) Show an example.
Does your kid love Hercules? Maybe he or she has a favorite superhero or actor. Do you think Hercules got all his big muscles without eating his veggies? Do you think Barbie's hair would be so shiny and long if she didn't eat hers? Grandpa got so big and strong because he loves carrots. Grandma's hair is so pretty because she eats all her veggies. Children are more intelligent than we sometimes give them credit for. Often, if you explain things in a logical way to a small child, they will listen. Big muscles or shiny hair just might do the trick.
5) Persistence
The best way to get small children to try new things is to keep giving them new things. Don't offer them something once and then give up if they turn up their noses. Kids will forget that they didn't like something, or forget that they *said* they didn't like something. Sometimes just offering the same thing in a variety of ways will bring success. Once you hit on something they really do like, be certain to proclaim it "one of their favorite dishes".
