5 Ways to Sneak in Some Veggies

Getting your kids to eat their veggies is not an easy task. Kids often shy away from the things their parents want them to do (like eating their veggies) so how can you sneak in some veggies to make sure they are growing up healthy and strong? Here are 5 ways to sneak in some veggies:

Tip # 1 - Casseroles
One of the easiest ways to get your kids to eat their veggies is to put them in a casserole. Broccoli and beans go great with most casseroles and it's easy to disguise them in the casserole. Chicken or beef potpies are another easy way to get your kids to eat their veggies. The great thing about casseroles and other tasty dishes is that the kids are so focused on the taste; they don't even realize they are eating vegetables.

Tip # 2 - Hide them
A great way to sneak in some veggies is to look for opportunities to add them into meals. Instead of buying canned tomatoes, consider making fresh tomato soup. Cheese sandwiches with tomato soup are perfect for a cold day. How about chopping up some carrots and adding them to macaroni and cheese? Look for opportunities to mix the veggies into food. Meatloaf is a great meal to add in some veggies. You can add practically any type of veggie to ground meat so make sure you disguise it well.

Rice is another great way to add in some veggies. Ham fried rice is great because you can add in some onions, peas, and carrots. You can even add in some broccoli to give it more deep greens and healthy looks.

The great thing about vegetables is that they can easily blend in with a lot of ingredients. Spaghetti sauce is one easy way to add in some vegetables. Soups are another great way to add in some vegetables.

Tip # 3 - Eat them
It's easy for kids to get behind healthy eating habits when they see you are activity participating in it too. Make sure you eat vegetables all the time so your kids will eat them too. Get rid of the junk food and only offer healthy snacks like carrots and ranch dressing dip or celery and peanut butter. If they see you are eating healthy veggies for snacks, they will have the desire to eat them too.

Pack some veggies into your kid's lunch box so they eat them at school too. Carrots are great because they have natural sugars so kids can get the sweet flavor they are looking for after a big lunch.

Tip # 4 - Colors
Kids like to eat foods because of their color. When you have a plate of green food, some kids will automatically assume it's going to taste gross. Healthy food can taste good, you just need to find the right seasonings to add to it. Try to pick vegetables that have fun colors like orange, purple, and red. It's easy to make the food look good when it has fun colors.

Try adding food coloring to some things like potatoes to make them look unique. Eating purple potatoes may look fun to kids and it's a great way to dress up their plate.

Tip # 5 - Make it look fun
Another simple way to sneak in some veggies is to make them look good. You can place them on your kid's plate shaped like a face. It's an easy way to get their attention and it's nice for them to have fun with their meals. If possible, try to make the face look like one of their favorite cartoon characters.

Beverly Frank is a work-at-home writer and mom to two young kids. Visit http://www.surfnetparents.com for more parenting ideas.

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