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Home › Articles › Infants and Toddlers › Veggie Wails

Veggie Wails

Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables Without the Whine

By Crystal Patriache

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Similarly, Suzanne Lowden, an Illinois mother of one, started her daughter on vegetables when she started eating jarred food. "I would not allow her to have any applesauce or fruits until the end of her meal," she says. "I just continued the same routine and it seems to work just fine. I don't make a big deal about eating them; I just put them on her plate and that's it."

Pressendo, whose kids love veggies, has several tips to get kids to devour vegetables. "Hide veggies in meat loaf," she says. "Use veggie soup instead of ketchup, or use tomato sauce or garden vegetable spaghetti sauce." If your kids don't like raw veggies, let them substitute for a cooked one. For raw vegetables, serve dip if they like it (low-fat dressing). "See if they'll drink veggie juices like V8," she says. The popular vegetable juice has new enticing flavors for kids these days.

Pressendo also says that frozen peas are a great summer munchie, and getting kids involved in the making of the food may help. "Let them make English-muffin pizza and put on any veggies they want or help them make veggie-face plates (use the veggies to make a face) and then eat them."

Getting kids to eat vegetables is an age-old battle and frustrating for many parents including Sonja Nickels, a Denver, Colo., mother. "Let me know if you get a miracle answer to the vegetable thing," Nickels says. "I'm still baffled."

A Few New Vegetables to Try
  • Jicama
  • Sweet potatoes (cut into "french fries" and bake)
  • Beets
  • Brussels spouts (shred instead of serving whole)
  • Parsnips
  • Snow peas
  • Baby corn
  • Asparagus tips

Veggie Strings

"My toddler son has always been a fan of fruits and veggies," says Tonia Rich, an iParenting.com community member. "From the time he first began eating solids I have tried to make him healthy and delicious meals as opposed to instant or junk foods. After a while, I began to experiment with new ways to cook the same old vegetables. [I have] one simple recipe I created and was impressed to discover how much my son loved it. The great thing is, it can be served two yummy ways!"

1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
Butter or pasta sauce, to taste

Peel the zucchini and squash to make long strands like spaghetti (chop these strings to prevent choking in younger toddlers). Saute in the olive oil until tender. You may season with pepper or garlic if you choose. Top the strings with butter for a yummy side dish. Or top with pasta sauce for a new twist on everyday spaghetti!

Bacon-Broccoli Cheese Ball

A great way to sneak in some veggies!

1 package (8 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (turkey bacon can be used)
Black pepper, to taste

Beat cream cheese, cheddar cheese and pepper until smooth. Stir in broccoli. Shape into two balls, and then roll into the crumbled bacon. Chill about one hour. Serve with crackers and/or pretzel sticks for dipping.


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