One of the challenging foods to feed your children are vegetables, unless of course they are French fries, in which case, keep them coming.
Considering the benefits of vegetables, it is also not possible for parents to give into the demands of their children.
Carrying several minerals and vitamins that are imperative for growth and development, vegetables are a staple item.
Moreover, most of them are full of fiber, that adds bulk to the diet and allows for ease in passing stool. Lack of adequate fiber may also then lead to constipation, for which you then might have to consult your Child specialist in Lahore.
Suffice to say, not eating vegetables is then not an option. To help you through the ordeal of feeding vegetables, we have rounded up some tips.
Add them to foods your child likes
An easy way to encourage more vegetable intake is by adding them to foods that they are already fond of. For example, you can add different vegetables as pizza toppings.
Cut them in fun ways
Children like their food to be fun, and you can therefore utilize this for to make their plate full of vegetables fun. You can utilize special cutters to make different shapes or cut out of animals.
Likewise, you can also make rainbows, smiley faces etc. using the vegetables to make their plate look tempting.
Expose them to different vegetables
If you limit your child’s dietary intakes to just a handful of vegetables, they are less likely to try new ones, even through their adulthood. Hence, make sure that you introduce a variety of vegetables.
However, do not overwhelm the child with too many vegetables at once. Pace them so your child is able to adjust to the change.
Involve them in cooking
When children are involved in the process of cooking, they are more likely to eat the food. So, take your child to first grocery shopping. Allow them to pick vegetables of their choice. Then, let them help around the kitchen in of course safe manner. When the food is then served, they are more likely to eat with gusto.
Set an example
Parents should be leading by examples, since your children are looking up to you. You cannot expect your child to eat vegetables if you yourself are not eating them. Hence, make sure that you eat plenty of vegetables, in front of your child. Do not make faces at the vegetables in their presence.
Serve with a dip
To add more flavor to the vegetables and to make them more palatable, you can also then serve them with dips that will encourage your children to eat the vegetables. Even though ketchup is a favorite, you can also try hummus and similar healthy choices.
Sneak them in
You do not need to serve raw vegetables always, but you can also sneak them into different food items, as out of sight, out of mind.
You can make smoothies with spinach in them, try to blend the vegetables to use as a topping, add them into your sauces, make dishes like cauliflower rice in which vegetables are paraded as starch, etc. You can also make nuggets, pates, kebabs, meatballs, etc. with vegetables inside them.
Try different cooking techniques
Cooking vegetables using different techniques can completely change their taste. To allow your child to experience vegetables in different ways, and to break the monotony, cook your vegetables in different ways. Serve them raw, make a salad with nice dressing, bake them so they’re crispy, steam them if your child likes bland foods, or even roast them if you like.
Being safe
It is important that food be cut small enough to not present as a choking hazard. Moreover, you should also follow the dietary guidelines set by your Child specialist in Islamabad to determine the portion size.
