How to Get Kids to Eat (and Like) Vegetables

Parents often complain about how difficult it is to get vegetables into their childrens' diets. Books like Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious are popular because moms and dads are desperate to get those good nutrients into their kids' bodies, even if they have to sneak them. While books like this can be helpful in the short-term, we also need to teach our children how to like vegetables for what they are. Instilling a love of veggies in your kids probably won't happen overnight, but here are three steps that, if followed, will encourage them to eat and enjoy green, crunchy food.

Step #1 (and this may be the most difficult one of all) - Parents, you must purchase, eat and enjoy vegetables first!

As a parent, you should be the number-one influence on what your kids eat. If you don't eat vegetables, I can guarantee that your kids won't either. You might think, "If they need it, they'll eat it," but it never works out that way in reality. Stock your fridge each week with fresh, organic, in-season vegetables. If you can't afford organic, look at the Dirty Dozen list, and buy non-organic vegetables and fruits that are low in pesticides.

After you stock your fridge with a variety of vegetables, make the effort to pull them out of the fridge, cut them up, and present them in an appetizing way. Your kids may just watch you eat them at first, especially if they've never had to eat them before. You might try some of the following:

- Make a beautiful veggie platter or a colorful plate of salad.

- Use a homemade or all-natural, sugar free salad dressing.

- Spread your favorite vegetables into an oven dish, toss with olive oil and sea salt, and roast in the oven until they are caramelized and sweet.

Vegetables need to be a regular part of your diet, each and every day.

Once you've prepared your veggies for eating, make a big deal about how delicious they are. Exclaim over how much you like them. Offer bites to your kids. They may not want to try them...yet. You have to keep doing this over and over before some kids will even get close enough to your plate to take a peek at what all the fuss is about.

Step #2 - Start when they're young.

When they're babies, introduce them to vegetables. When they are big enough to pick up little pieces of food and mash them with their gums, give them soft, cooked chunks that they can try. It can take several times for a baby to get used to a new food, so don't give up the first time she rejects mashed avocado or sweet potato.

Toddlers can be trickier. They are notoriously picky eaters. Still, if you've given them a good foundation by teaching them to eat vegetables regularly, they will be more likely to continue this practice as older children. Serve vegetables with as many meals as you can. Make them a familiar sight at your table.

If you haven't trained your child to eat vegetables from the beginning, it's not too late. An older child can still grow to like vegetables. It will take more time. Make the vegetables appetizing to them. When you serve them green beans, include some organic butter and sea salt. These items can improve many vegetables.

I did better with each of my children. My first two were more of a challenge (and still are sometimes), but they understand the importance of vegetables, and have been known to (occasionally) request them on their own. These two developed a craving and desire for processed wheat snacks above all else, because they were easier for me to prepare and serve. Yes, they were organic and made from natural ingredients, but I certainly didn't do them any favors by teaching them to only eat refined carbohydrates at snack time. So, having learned from my mistakes with the first two, I made an effort to do things right with my third child.

Instead of making separate "baby food" for her when the family was eating, I prepared vegetables for the whole family that she could also enjoy when I mashed them up for her. She was eating the same foods the rest of the family was eating, and she knew it. By the age of 18 months, she was asking me for bites of my lunch-time salads. I thought the lettuce would be an undesirable texture for her, but if the pieces were small enough, she gobbled them up. She cried for more shredded beets and cucumbers. Eventually I had to make her her very own salad plate at lunch time. She eats more vegetables than both of my boys combined at meals. I believe the early and constant exposure to vegetables were what made her a willing veggie eater.

Step #3 - Present vegetables to kids in an appealing and fun way.

This is a chance for you to get creative. At snack time, surprise your kids with a plate of colorful vegetables and dip (see recipe below). You don't even have to make it a formal, sit-down snack. Set it on a table within their reach, mention casually that you've made a veggie tray for them, and then leave it up to them to check it out. Even if they only take a couple of nibbles at first, you have succeeded in getting them to try a vegetable. Next time, they might try more (especially if they are hungry and haven't loaded up on junk food).

You can be even more elaborate with your snack presentations for those children who are extremely resistant. Two very basic vegetables - baby carrots and cucumbers, can be formed into a flower garden, with a hummingbird hovering close by to drink of the nectar (see recipe below).

It certainly does take effort to encourage children to like vegetables. It's not an instant and easy process. But with will and determination, any parent can do it. You'll be thrilled when your two year old asks, "Mommy, may I have some more cabbage, please?"

Vegetable Platter

cucumbers, sliced
baby carrots, sliced into thin strips lengthwise (to prevent choking)
mixed greens
homegrown sprouts (red clover or broccoli)
dip or dressing

Individually group sliced vegetables, greens, and sprouts on a plate or platter. Place a small cup filled with dip or dressing in the center. Set on a colorful place mat and let your kids go to town!

Vegetable Flower Garden

baby carrots
cucumber
grain-sweetened chocolate chips (opt.)
thin apple slices

Cut baby carrots into thin circles.
Cut some slices of cucumber lengthwise, and some into circles.
I like to add grain-sweetened chocolate chips to the centers of my flowers for a small surprise.
Form a hummingbird out of thin apple slices with just a few simple cuts (see photos).
Place on a plate and present to your children. Watch their eyes light up!