Broccoli, green beans, spinach, Brussels sprouts or zucchini, green vegetables are often the hardest to get children to eat. Indeed, as soon as they reach the age of reason, they begin to discover colors consciously, to associate tastes, to discover the subtlety of their taste buds. Generally, this period is a time of refusal to eat any green food.
Greens: a source of boredom
Screaming, crying, tears, fighting in front of the plate to encourage the child to eat are the daily life of many parents. Sometimes, even the simple fact of tasting a vegetable puts them off, makes them scream, makes them feel uncomfortable, leading to disgust, gagging, leading to vomiting in the worst cases.
A thousand and one ways to get people to eat greens
Although complicated, this childhood period requires a willingness, for parents to not give up. In fact, vegetables are important for a child's good health as well as for growth.
Nevertheless, let's never force a child to consume but rather discover alternatives to propose differently vegetables to the youngest among us:
- Creating a family vegetable garden
Offering a space wherethe child will be invested in growing vegetables is a rewarding activity for younger (and also older) children. The children discover the seeds - the source of life - , the growth of the vegetable, the harvesting and then the preparation of a recipe. Generally, this investment of self responsible but also makes the child proud. From then on, it is with great value that the child will often wish to consume the food that he saw growing and that he harvested himself.
Thanks to the family vegetable garden, the child will also discover different varieties of vegetables than those he or she may have eaten before. Indeed, scarcity becomes precious in the eyes of all and encourages the exercise of "eating well".
- The discovery of the kitchen
When children of all ages feel involved in an activity, they usually put their heart into it. Besides, teaching kidshow to cook vegetables might interest them more than you might think. Depending on the age of the child, it is possible to install him next to you during the preparation of the meal by explaining the steps of the recipe, offering to cut some vegetables with a knife adapted for his age and why not, to offer to cook with him. Again, we enter a phase where the child, for the love of his discovery, will taste the dish he has helped to prepare.
- Soup.
Often, vegetables cooked in water, steam or even in the oven remain visually difficult for children to swallow. They need to hold the food in their mouths for a long time to chew it properly. This further activates the taste buds, which then awaken the taste of the vegetable as it becomes more pronounced in the mouth. This is usually when children spit up, cry or throw their food away. By preparing multi-vegetable soups, we can soften some of the stronger or bitter tastes.
The carrot is very often the friend of our children because its sweet taste can counteract the other vegetables. In addition, it has interesting nutrients for the growth of our toddlers. Let's also adopt sweet potatoes, parsnips and squash.
- The Cakes
Who has never tasted a delicious savory cake? Generally, the children do not see anything but fire! Recipes vary and alternate according to individual tastes, but it's simple to add pieces of vegetables that melt when cooked.
- Sweet cakes.
Have you ever tried chocolate cake with zucchini or red beans? Children's sweet tooth will not be able to ignore these wonderful desserts that come out of the oven! The added vegetables go unnoticed in taste and allow d'increase the recommended daily intake. Obviously, this last option alone will not allow a sufficient intake. Let's see this approach as a bonus!
Learning about vegetables can be a difficult path. Nevertheless, teach your children to consume consciously, with love and passion. Attitudes quickly change and the path to healthy eating becomes harmonious.