4 Ways To Get Your Kids To Enjoy Eating Vegetables

Do your kids scrunch their noses up and go "Ew!" every time you serve them a plate of vegetables? This is no new phenomenon—since the dawn of time, kids have been notoriously picky eaters, and vegetables seem to be at the top of their "do not touch" list.

There's a reason for this. Kids have different taste buds than adults and are more sensitive to bitter flavors. This makes it harder for them to appreciate the taste of vegetables, which can often have a stronger and more bitter flavor profile compared to other foods.

As they grow, your child’s taste preferences may change, but in the meantime, it's important to find ways to get your kids to eat their veggies to ensure they get a balanced and nutritious diet. Here are some techniques you can try to turn your kids' "Ews" into "Yums."

Mask the Bitterness

Getting kids to eat veggies can be tricky, but hiding the bitterness with other flavors helps. You can roast, grill, or sauté veggies to bring out their sweetness. A dash of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, or a splash of vinegar can also balance out their bitter taste. Or you can just sneak them into dishes with stronger and more familiar flavors, like pasta sauces, soups, or stir-fries.

Make It Fun

Kids might be more open to trying new foods if you make it fun! Try arranging veggies in cool shapes or patterns, using colorful produce for a rainbow effect, or making them into faces or animal shapes.

You can also give your vegetable dishes unique names. For example, when you add beet to foods, it usually turns the dish pink. You can call these dishes "Barbie Pasta" or "Princess Soup." Similarly, you can rename green food as food for the Hulk or Ninja Turtles. Tying dishes to characters your kids love can make trying new foods more exciting.

Help Them Grow Their Own Veggies

Get kids are more likely to get pumped about veggies if they get to grow their own. Set up a small garden in the backyard or use pots on your balcony or windowsill. You'll need kids' gardening tools like small shovels and watering cans and easy-to-grow vegetables like cherry tomatoes, carrots, or lettuce.

Gardening shows kids where food comes from and gets them to appreciate the hard work behind growing it. After spending weeks caring for their veggie plants, they won’t just pick the crops and move on—they’ll be eager to taste how awesome their homegrown veggies are!

Be a Role Model

Kids pick up on their parents' eating habits. If you want your kids to eat more veggies, set a good example by incorporating plenty of vegetables into your own diet. When your kids see you enjoying your veggies, they're more likely to give them a try, too!

Vegetables provide kids with important nutrients for growth and development that help little ones grow into healthy and strong adults. But getting kids to eat these nutrient-dense foods can be a challenge! If your kids "ew" and "yuck" every time you serve them vegetables, try these techniques to make veggies more fun and tastier. Soon, your kids might even start asking for seconds!

If you think gardening could be the trick to getting your kids to enjoy their veggies, visit Rutabaga Education for more tips and resources on gardening with kids. We want to make it easy for parents to get their kids excited about growing and eating vegetables.