Do your children eat enough vegetables? Most kids don’t even come close. The USDA says only half of children eat a vegetable on a given day. In comparison, the Dietary Guidelines suggest at least 1 ½-2 ½ cup of vegetables per day for children ages 4-8 years.
The shortfall is even more shocking when you realize that half of these vegetables are potatoes, often as French fries or potato chips.
Still, it’s possible to get children to eat vegetables. With some trial and a lot of error, I’ve found a few approaches that work for our family. Here are 9 strategies I use to make sure my child gets his vegetables (almost) every day.
1. Model Prioritizing Vegetables
What you do may have more influence on your children than what you.say or what anyone else says or tells them. If you eat your vegetables on a daily basis, chances are that they will, too. They may develop this healthy habit later rather than sooner, but they learn from what they see in the home and when they’re out with you.
Are they learning…
- That vegetables are on the plate at most meals, or that vegetables are an afterthought for some days, sometimes?
- That a well-stocked fridge, freezer, and counter have vegetables, or that if vegetables run out, it’s okay to wait until the next big trip to the supermarket?
- That you look for vegetables when you eat out, or that vegetables are only for boring occasions at home?
- That vegetables are delicious and fun, or that they’re a chore to eat?
Think about your meals and your home, and what they are telling your children about vegetables.
2. Let Them Have Preferences
Ask, and they’ll tell you. My son is very clear about what he wants. I let him choose his vegetables from some options that I offer. It’s rare that I go against him. He’s happy because he chose something he likes, and I’m happy because he’ll eat his vegetables. Some kids love raw, colorful vegetables. My son only eats cooked ones except for tomatoes.
Another benefit of offering choices is that when kids get to choose, they can take ownership. It happens with clothes they choose, room decorations, and many other areas of their lives. It seems to translate to food, too.
3. Serve Small Portions
I used to try to get him to eat more vegetables by serving large portions. It would always be vegetables that he likes, whether eggplant, broccoli, or green beans. And he wouldn’t eat a bite.
It took me some time to realize that smaller portions worked better. Maybe the large amounts were so daunting that he was afraid to even try. Now, I serve smaller, doable amounts, and offer second helpings. I can also increase the amount he gets by serving small portions of two different vegetables rather than trying to get him to eat one large portion of one type of vegetable.
4. Have a Backup Plan
Occasionally, for various reasons, afternoon comes and vegetables don’t seem to have made it into the day. It’s helpful to have a convenient backup for those situations. Thankfully, my son loves tomatoes in any form, whether raw, cooked, in tomato sauce, or in vegetable juice. He’ll drink an 11-oz can of vegetable juice if I ask him to. That takes care of 2-3 servings of vegetables without fuss.
5. Don’t Make an Issue
Fighting over food is rarely the best answer. It’s more pleasant to let things happen naturally. If possible, you can pave the way for the “natural” course of things to include vegetables.
For example, when my son comes home from school in the afternoon, he’s probably hungry. I might strategically place a container of grape tomatoes (and a napkin) where he is sitting doing his homework. Usually the contents disappear by the time I come back. For your children, it might be a bowl of carrots with ketchup, some whole-grain crackers with tomato sauce, or cucumbers with yogurt or dip, depending on what your child likes.
6. But Do Be Firm
Sometimes, I have to be direct. This might happen when we’re planning to eat with others. For example, if we’re ordering a pizza for our weekly family lunch with my parents, I may tell my son that he’ll have vegetables with his pizza. In that case, I try to let him choose the vegetable, whether it’s a roma tomato, grape tomatoes, cooked carrots, sugar snap peas, or Brussels sprouts. Once expectations are set, he’s likely to eat his vegetable serving before asking for more pizza.
7. Avoid Embarrassment
I’m a fan of letting people feel comfortable around food and their food choices. If my son is going to a party later where the options are sure to be nutrition-less, I may add extra vegetables to his previous meal or snack. There’s no need to make him feel self-conscious by making him be the only one to eat vegetables at an event, and there’s no need to make him feel guilty if he doesn’t eat well at the event.
8. Be Sneaky If Necessary
There are all kinds of kid-friendly ways to increase vegetable consumption. Use them when all else fails, or take advantage of them on a daily basis.
Here are some ideas for adding vegetables to meals in palatable and sometimes sneaky ways.
- Add diced onions to eggs.
- Serve extra tomato sauce on pasta, and add cooked tomatoes or other cooked vegetables.
- Dice broccoli or cauliflower, cook it, and add it to macaroni and cheese.
- Blend eggplant, grated zucchini, or grated carrots into meatballs and meatloaf.
- Make vegetable soup with chicken and barley, whole-grain spaghetti, or brown rice.
9. Normalize Vegetables Outside the Home
Healthy eating is always, not just at home! Eating out offers opportunities to try new vegetables cooked in different ways. Consider these vegetable-heavy dishes from various cuisines.
- Chinese beef or chicken with broccoli
- Chinese beef, tofu, or chicken stir fry with vegetables
- Mexican chicken or shrimp fajitas with onions and peppers
- Italian eggplant parmesan – let them learn to love eggplant at the restaurant, then make healthier versions at home!
- Mexican vegetarian burritos with grilled squash, peppers, and onions
By the way, these tips can also work for adults who may be short on vegetables. Might that include you?
I hope some of these ideas help you add vegetables to your children’s lives, and hopefully reduce tension around begging them to eat a vegetable.
What are your best tips for getting children to eat their vegetables? What are your biggest fails? Comment below!
