5 Simple Ways to Get More Fruit and Vegetables into Your Child's Diet #healthyeating #kidshealth #food #eatyourveg #5aday #parenting
We all know we should but most of us still don't eat enough fruit and vegetables, and certainly nowhere near the 5 a day message which has been around for so long now.
Whether it's down to unhealthy habits, a dislike of fruit and veg, or just being too busy to even think about it, getting enough variety of plant-based foods in our diet is too important to ignore, especially for our kids.
But just how can you get more fruit and vegetables into your child's diet?
Read on for 5 simple tips to get more fruit and vegetables in your family’s diet.
5 Simple Ways to Get More Fruit and Vegetables into Your Child's Diet
1. Start the Day Well
Most adults will carry on eating healthily if they start off right in the morning, so there's no reason why this shouldnt apply to our children too!
That means a protein-based breakfast, perhaps including eggs or yoghurt (opt for Greek for the most protein).
Add in some slow release carbs like porridge or overnight oats, or multigrain or wholemeal toast.
And finally add as much vegetables or fruit as you can.
Berries with their oats and a banana is perfect; or some cooked mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach with poached or scrambled eggs on toast.
Small Scotch pancakes with Greek yoghurt and a mountain of berries and a drizzle of local honey is a firm favourite here.
2. Snack Better
Make fruit and vegetables available as healthy snacks between meals.
Setting a tray of chopped fruit, berries or chopped vegetables like crudites on the table around snack time and straight after school as kids wait for dinner is guaranteed to have them hoover it up!
Kids will literally swarm the table for a tray of veggies and dip, even those kids who won't even look at a vegetable at mealtimes!
Why? Probably because no-one is watching them like a hawk!
Most kids love dips, which helps, but the main thing is that no-one is forcing the kids to eat their veggies, monitoring their consumption or urging them to just eat x, y, z.
With no demands, the bright and colourful vegetables look more appealing so, if they're offered as a snack without any expectations then kids dive right in.
You can even up the nutrition and another plant-based food by making houmous the dip of choice. Most kids can't say no to houmous!
3 heallthy snack ideas:
3. Offer Different Choices
Rather than mixing vegetables into meals all chopped up small or pureed, let kids see the different vegetables and try them.
Whilst mixing veggies into a meal is a great idea, for example a pasta sauce starting with a sofrito of onion, garlic, carrot and celery, a couple of finely chopped broccoli stalks, mixed coloured peppers and whatever else you have to hand is going to be delicious, offer 'whole' vegetables too.
Every meal have two or three dishes of different vegetables available for kids to try.
Maybe a salad, a dish of green beans and a dish of broccoli with that pasta dish.
Or sweet potato wedges, a tomato salad and mini corn cobs with burgers.
By offering a range of vegetables you get kids used to seeing them, tasting them, experiencing the different colours, flavours and textures of a wider variety of vegetables.
4. It Takes Time
Remember that it takes time to get to like a new food. Experts say that it takes three to seven tastes for a person to decide if they actually like a food or not.
That means you have to serve broccoli to your kids seven times and let them taste the veggies before they decide.
Often a no-pressure attitude works best. Simply offer it to your child or just put it on the table, don;t expect them to eat a full serving.
When kids are allowed to develop their own taste, they’re more likely to like a vegetable than if they’re forced to eat them.
And make sure they see you eating and enjoying a wide variety of fruit and vegetables too!
5. Make It Tasty
Let’s face it, not everyone likes everything and there will be some vegetables your kids just aren't keen on.
However, there are things you can do to make them more appealing and tasty.
For example, you may not like green beans steamed, but if they’re sautéed with a few almonds they taste amazing.
A baked sweet potato may be too much, but turned into sweet potato wedges and roasted till they're fudgy and delicious with a sprinkle of sea salt they're delicious.
When it comes to eating vegetables, don’t be afraid to doctor them a bit.
Use spices. Use a bit of healthy fat like olive oil to add flavour.
Add nuts. Add cheese sauce, dip or dressings sometimes.
Getting your family to eat more veggies may take some advanced planning.
Make sure they’re offered several times a day and in several forms.
Give your child, and yourself, time to decide if you like a vegetable.
Go ahead and be sneaky with the veggies sometimes too.
When it comes to your family’s health, vegetables matter.
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