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Health & Fitness

Get Your Kids To Eat Their Veggies

This question is one that I get all the time when I’m talking to moms whose kids don’t want to eat the green stuff. So many of you have asked it to me in person and over email that I’m going to answer it here for everyone. How do you get your kids to eat their veggies?

Most kids aren’t crazy about vegetables and I’m going to hold you somewhat accountable for this, Mom.

I know you’ve witnessed this not-wanting-to-eat-veggies phenomenon at your own dinner table.  A bright and lovely and colorful green bean will be passed over for a piece of “chicken” (AKA pink sludge) shaped like a Mickey Mouse head.

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But, in the spirit of holding you accountable – why is there a  “chicken” shaped like a Mickey Mouse head on your kid’s plate?

I know, I know, “Johnny won’t eat anything, but chicken nuggets and french fries and pizza.”

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Wanna bet?

If Johnny is hungry, he will eat a big pile of broccoli and a roasted chicken breast.

I’m not suggesting you starve out your kid to get him to eat some healthy food. I’m suggesting that you stop giving into his demands to only eat bad food that will lead to terrible health.

You’re the parent. You’re in charge – not Johnny.

I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy. No, it’s probably going to be awful while you get him off the junk food. But now’s the time to teach your kids good eating habits so that they have these skills for the rest of their lives. It’s not too dramatic for me to say that this is life and death kind of stuff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list heart disease and cancer as the #1 and #2 causes of death to Americans – and they kill 10 times as many people per year as accidents.  Heart disease and cancer can be prevented by living a healthy life – a healthy lifestyle that you can be teaching your kids now.

Ok so, your kid is probably healthy now and maybe he’s even at a healthy weight. But if he keeps eating chicken nuggets, french fries and pizza for every meal, his body will one day get to the point where it can’t stay thin and healthy.

But you can do something about it right now before that happens. You love your kid and want to give him the best, right? Of course!  You can give your kids the most amazing gift and set them up for a life of healthy eating!

Right now, kids need vitamins and minerals for growth and development. According to the USDA, kids between 4 and 8 years old should be getting 1.5 cups of veggies or more per day.  I would submit that even more veggies are better, but let’s start with kiddie steps.

The USDA also recommends that half of our dinner plates be filled with fruits and veggies. If that sounds about as doable as climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest in fabulous stilettos with your kid on your back, don’t fret. Read on, brave Mom, read on.

Here are some tips that might get those little tater-tots to eat their veggies and get happy and healthy for life.

1. Practice what you preach. You know that friend who tells you that you should really do something and then won’t do it herself, like ask for that guy’s number or wear white after Labor Day. UGH! So annoying, right? Exactly. If you don’t eat veggies and model the behavior, how can expect your kids to do it?  

I read this quote by Brene Brown the other day and it really struck me: “It’s not about asking ‘Am I parenting the right way?’ as it is ‘am I the adult that I want my child to grow up to be?” Wow.

2. Put some fun in that fungus! Get creative and make eating veggies a little more playful. Cut them into cool shapes, present them in a fun way and get your kids thinking, “man, veggies are awesome!”

Pinterest (of course) is a wealth of ideas for cute ways to cut and serve veggies to kids.

3. Mix things up a little. It’s fun to change it up with delicious, healthy sauces and dips (think hummus) or a new preparation, liked hot off the grill. A personal fave is to make mashed cauliflower… looks like mashed potatoes but so much better for you!

4. If something doesn’t work, try, try again. Just because your little one isn’t salivating over a radish or celery doesn’t mean they won’t be into trying some other veggie or they won’t be into trying it at a later date. We all have our own tastes which often change as we grow older. So, keep on testing the veggies until you find what sticks!

5. Don’t force it. Remember that time you shoved broccoli into your kid’s mouth, while moving her chin up and down to get her to eat it? Of course that didn’t actually happen (wink-wink), but when your kids have a negative experience with food, it often changes the way they feel about it and creates a bad connection. If you get a little angry, or take away a privilege or force them to eat the veggie before getting up from the table, you can create a negative association with that innocent, little veggie, leaving your child less likely to want it in the future. So try to make it fun and light.

6. What I said above – don’t give into bad food. Girl, I know it’s hard. But if your kid is hungry, he’ll eat. Sure he may be sassy and go to bed hungry once or twice. But really quickly, he will be hungry and he’ll eat – even if it’s that vegetable lasagne that he doesn’t want to eat. Ease into this though if you have a junk-food eater now. Slowly migrate from junk to healthy stuff. Start by replacing 1/2 the fries with veggies. And have him eat the veggies before he can have the fries.

7. Sneak it. Jessica Seinfeld wrote a whole book about this, but the premise is simple: puree veggies and add them to other foods to sneak them in. Apple sauce in muffins. Carrots in mac ‘n cheese. Black beans and spinach in brownies (I’m not kidding). There are tons of recipes on the Internet you can use.

Sara Christensen is a private weight loss coach  based in San Diego. She works with women to create bodies and lives that they love.

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