United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the best advice regarding the recommended number/amount of vegetables a person should consume. Based on their study, depending on age, gender, and level of physical activity, a person should aim for 1 to 3 cups daily with a variety of colorful veggies.
- CONSIDER THE APPEARANCE
First thing we need to know is that kids are easily caught by physical appearance, particularly, those that are colorful and fun to look at. As a parent, one of the primary things that you must remember in serving vegetables to your kid is, “Is this be fun to look at?” “Is this something my kid likes?”
If your kid is not appetized by the looks of the vegetables, try being more creative and carve out some fun faces and characters if you can. Eating doesn’t always have to be serious.
Except for the food, the plates and utensils also add on to the presentation factor of the meal. Try purchasing kiddie plates that are colorful and which your kid may like. Consider these recommended selections of themed plates and tableware on the link which you may purchase at an affordable price:
- INTRODUCE AND RE-INTRODUCE
If you have a small kid, it is best if you introduce eating vegetables as soon as possible. Knowing vegetables and their basic health benefits will surely make the kids love their veggies. Education goes a long way.
However, if your kid is a bit older, try introducing and reintroducing the vegetables and how they need it in their diet. In the long run, it will help them regulate the food they take and grow to enjoy the benefits of vegetables.
- MIX INTO FAVORITE MEALS
Pizza? Spaghetti? Fries? Cake? I am sure your kid likes at least one of them. We don’t want them to consume these caloric foods all the time though. We know these are not the best foods for our health. But aren’t they?
Good thing vegetables are versatile foods. We can mix them into our kid’s favorite meals without them knowing that they are eating their veggies already. Use healthy options like cauliflower instead of flour for pizza crust or rice, zucchini noodles for the pasta, or other vegetables as “fries.” There are many other options that are better, and sometimes cheaper, for our kids.
