8 tricks to get more veggies into kids

Be a good example. If you’re having chips, it’s hard to have much moral authority. Plus, kids eventually model parents’ behavior.

Stick them in soup. Soups hide a multitude of sins.

Slather them in butter, or stir fry.

Let ’em dip. Some kids like hummus, others like chip dip. You’ll have to decide how much bad stuff you’ll let them put on for the veggie benefit.

Serve them raw. Serve lots at once and let them decide which to eat. If you make it a practice to set out vegetables 10 minutes before you give in to their demands to have other snacks, you may be surprised how much gets eaten.

Get them involved in growing vegetables. Kids will eat a lot of things if they are involved in the preparation. That goes for cooking

Roast until crispy. Adults prefer them this way. It’s not your kids’ fault if you oversteam, boil, or microwave their vegetables. Kale, for example, is a treat kids love if tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then roasted at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. This trick works for broccoli, asparagus, and tomatoes as well. Check the web for more specifics since with some you have to turn the temp up to 400 plus.

Cover them in cheese. Hide cauliflower or sweet potatoes in mac ‘n cheese.

Have patience. And don’t demonize vegetables as something you have to eat to get to the good stuff. Most kids eventually start eating vegetables. The trick is to make sure they get enough before they start asking for them on their own.