How do I get my 4-year old to eat vegetables?!
How do I get my 4-year old to eat vegetables?
He loves pasta, bread, cheese, and sweets. We eat mostly a plant-based/whole grains diet with some occasional detours into cheese, eggs and turkey.
Answers:
Give him something to dip it in... mayo, ranch dressing, cheese, and have him help pick out a new veggie to try... make it a fun thing.. go to the store and pick one out... :o)
Yeah can be a problem, what I used to do was blend them up and disguise them in something. Usually worked.
My son WILL NOT eat broccoli or other such veggies unless I put some ketchup on them. I know, ketchup equals salt and sugar which are evil, but you just take a tablespoon or so and mix it really well and down they go like magic. You can also try yogurt or cheese or any other dip you think is likely to work. I think the eating of veggies outweighs the badness of sauces.
well, start by sneaking it into his food. Like, make spaghetti sauce, and put some veggies in them. In my childcare class, we learned that if you make food appealing then they will be more inclined to eat them. Let him see you eating the veggies too, and say, "mmm, these are really good." Also, try the reward system too, if he eats so much of his/her veggies, he can watch TV longer or stay up 20 minutes longer. email me if you have any more questions. Good Luck.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition...
If it taste's good you 4 year old will eat it. You may want to try stir fry vegetables.
One recipe for green beans my son liked. One can of french cut green beans, enough butter to saute them, and bacon bits.
Tell him/her it's "candy greens" or something to that nature.
I used to have my son make foods like ants on a log (celery, peanut butter and raisins) or make veggie faces and people and have them with dinner.
baby carrots were always great and my son was brought up eating his peas frozen (they were great when he was teething) and he liked them in the summer for a cold snack as well.
If he helps you cook, it may help. On the other hand disguising vegetables is necessary too. If you make mashed potatoes, whip in some cooked cauliflower.
You can also make soups, I would use a little water, cooked cauliflower and throw it in a blender, add some spices and crackers and it looks like a cream based soup.
Be creative.
Make a meatloaf and slice some carrots really thin in it. Make spaghetti sauce with bell peppers and onions. Look online for kid's recipes as well...I'm sure you'll be able to find some stuff that you can slice some veggies into.
Also, one of my favorite recipes is called Chicken Divan which has broccoli in it.
here's how to make it
Take a bag of boneless skinless chicken breast or tenderloins, a bag of frozen broccoli, sliced cheese, and either cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken, also some sliced onions.
Cook the broccoli and layer the bottom of a casserole dish with it. Put the chicken on top of the broccoli, then add your onion sliced rings, sliced cheese to cover the entire casserole, and then the soup. Bake it in the oven on 375 until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!
That's easy! Tell him you just found out that vegetables are really a dessert. Always have them on a separate plate and tell him you like to eat your dessert with your meal instead of afterward.
He'll ask for them. Just a matter of time.
have him eat french fries
add cheese and garlic to mashed potatoes
try whole wheat bread
or
potatoe bread
try cheerios
try mac and cheese with add corn into it the color is blended by the cheese
try jennio turkey breast stuffed with broccoli and cheese easy and microwaveable
try eggs scrambled with diced onion and green sweet peppers
try sweet potato pie
try broccoli and spinach white pizza
try raisin bread
try garlic sesame everything bagels
try peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches
try pizzas like tony's ellios celeste
try tacos with salsa beef or turkey grounded cheese lettuce
try carrot cake
try blueberry muffins
blueberry pancakes
pumpkin pancakes
hot dogs with baked beans and fries
You should disguise them and when he is finished eating he got his veggies in.
Give him only the vegetables that you want him to try. He will balk at first, but after going through 1 meal without eating, he wont do it again. Before you all start shouting child abuse, its not like the kid will starve himself, he will just go hungry once and then eat it.
If your diet is mostly plant and whole grains, then what is the problem anyways?
The other way is to disguise them will ketchup, but you don't have to use store bought, you can make your own.
Try cooking them stir fry with soy sauce on them (or orange sauce or other non-meat sauce) maybe he'll eat them that way.
shove the down the throat
Force feed him. Thats what I would do. <.<