Vegetables are a point of contention in many families – especially when kids are involved on the matter too! Still, there are many misconceptions around the healthy foods. What’s seen as good for you is often viewed as ‘tasteless’, ‘bland’, or ‘boring’ whereas the foods that are bad for you are ‘tasty’ and ‘delicious’. Well, obviously, there’s very little truth in these typical remarks!
With kids today eating twice as much sugar as the recommended levels, it’s important that everyone in the family has a well-balanced diet. Vegetables are a big part of making that happen! Alongside some skill and know how, it’s very possible to get your whole family downing their veggies with enthusiasm. Soon, all your folks will be big and strong without even the murmur of a quibble!
Consequently, here’s how to get your family enjoying their vegetables!
Add Some Seasoning
Families come together best when a middle ground is found. If your kids don’t like vegetables simply because they don’t taste that great, acknowledge that fact and respect it. Don’t force feed them things they hate! After all, taste is subjective. Show that you’ve listened to your kids and try to make things better for them; for example, add some seasoning!
This just might help your kids have that kick to their taste buds they want when eating vegetables. Some herbs or peppery flavours might just help them come around. In the end, the art of persuasion can sometimes come from you just trying to see things from their point of view instead of being overbearing about a carrot or stick of broccoli. Add some additional flavouring – overtime, you could perhaps ease up on that strategy and hope they don’t notice!
Soups and Smoothies
Of course, adding additional flavours isn’t for everyone. That’s okay, there’s other options here! For example, few problems can’t be fixed with a quality soup or smoothie machine. If you want to retain that ‘pure veg’ goodness, stick it all in a blender and whip up a smoothie or soup. Contrary to popular belief, blended veg (and fruit) is just as good for you as eating them all as they are. Your family is still getting all the nutrients and flavours from the goods, and if they hate the taste, they can down it all in a matter of seconds instead of chomping it all down for a few minutes. If nothing else, this is a time saver for you, and minimises your family’s displeasure for vegetables! Alternatively, you can also try using green powder supplements to make the smoothie instead. All you have to do is add the powder, some milk, fruits, or greens by taste, mix it up, and you’re good to go!
Grow Your Own Vegetables
If your son or daughter is the outdoorsy type and loves getting muddy, growing your veggies could be a good way to get them on side. If you have the right equipment at your disposal, you can grow your very own assortment of vegetables for the whole family to enjoy. When your kids can see how easily food can be grown and maintained, the whole process might just interest and engage them more than the classic ‘eat your greens because I said so’ lines parents come out with. It could be a good idea to let your kids pick and sort just what vegetables they’ll be growing. Try and encourage them to enjoy the process. When they’re eating food that they’ve grown themselves, they may then feel like eating vegetables is a rewarding experience. You could instill a good work ethic here from an early age also, as well as some positive life lessons in independence and productivity, etc.
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