Getting your children to eat their vegetables can be a stressful task. My own boys will tolerate corn, but that is about it. Many parents question how they can make sure that their children are maintaining a balanced diet and getting all the nutrients they need when they only want to eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. The answer: hide the veggies in their favorite meals!
This idea is not new, and I am sure that you have read about it and thought that it just might work, but then never tried it. Well, I assure you, it does work. In fact, WebMD reports that a study done at the University of Pennsylvania found that children showed no preference in pasta dishes that included veggies ground up into the sauce, and pasta dishes that did not. Researchers took steamed broccoli and cauliflower, blended it into the pasta sauces, and served it to 61 children over a 4 week period. The children did not prefer either dish over the other, and didn’t even seem to notice the ground up veggies at all.
Another idea is to grate up zucchini and add it to pancake or cake batters. Your children will not be able to taste it, but the nutrients will be in there! You can also puree vegetables and add them to meatloaf and hamburgers. Grind up cooked white beans and substitute them for half the butter in your cookie recipes…more fiber and less fat! The possibilities are endless!
However, doctors do say that you should not hide all vegetables from your children. Children need to be exposed to vegetables often and learn to eat them with their parents. We need them to learn to like vegetables. Research has also shown that a child may have to see a vegetable 10-15 times before they will try it.
So hide some veggies if you need to, but also teach your children about different vegetables and how good they are for them. Include them in preparing them as well, and you just might help them find a new appreciation for our herbaceous friends.
