How to get your kids to eat vegetables
Vegetables are an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. They contain nutrients and antioxidants that work to support your immune system and battle against infections. Despite you knowing their importance, and telling your little ones the same, it can be so difficult getting your kids to eat their greens. If you’d like to find out how to get kids to eat vegetables, and how to promote healthy eating for the whole family, continue reading this guide.
How to encourage kids to eat more veggies
No matter how old your children are, or how many you have, it can always be a challenge getting them to eat enough vegetables. They like the easier things in life, like chips and chicken nuggets. The benefits of vegetables in your child’s diet are clear, though, as they provide more energy for them on a daily basis and improve their health and wellbeing.
If you’d like to introduce more vegetables into your family’s diet, consider our Build Your Own Box feature that allows you to pick and choose your favourite veggies. All of them are then delivered to your door on a regular basis.
It’s thought that children under the age of eight should have at least two servings of vegetables every day, but how do you manage it? Here are our tips on how to get kids to eat vegetables:
- Set a good example
- Persistence and praise
- Offer veggies as snacks
- Get them involved
Set a good example
First of all, it’s important to set a good example for them. If your children see you consuming enough greens on a daily basis, it’s the first step towards them understanding the importance of their diet. Family meals are the perfect time to try and educate your children over their diet and health. Introducing vegetables in meal times and discussing them can help them understand the situation better.
Persistence and praise
Another step to improve your child’s diet is through persistence and praise. Even if they don’t eat their greens at first, keep trying to persuade them. Keep cooking vegetables into meals and urging your little one to try what’s on their plate. Another idea you could try is by cooking dishes that involve a lot of vegetables. Does your little one enjoy lasagne? The next time you make one, fill it with more vegetables than usual and see how much they eat.
You’ll find that they may actually eat plenty of their food without knowing there were more vegetables in the dish. Once they’ve eaten their greens, ensure that you praise them. This positive affirmation encourages them to keep eating vegetables in the future.
Offer veggies as snacks
You could also try to include vegetables as snacks throughout the day. Instead of a packet of crisps or a chocolate biscuit, offer some cucumber or slices of carrot. They’re very filling and incredibly healthy.
Fruit snacks for kids are also a popular choice among parents. You can find many varieties in local supermarkets. They’re quite often tastier than their unhealthy counterparts and offer much more nutritional value to your little one.
So, ditch the unhealthy snacks and try vegetables or fruit snacks for kids.
Get them involved
Our final tip in this list of how to get kids to eat vegetables involves the cooking process. Check to see if your little ones would like to get involved in cooking the dinner occasionally. Help them to carefully prepare the vegetables and see how their faces light up at the prospect of preparing a meal for the whole family.
Involving them in this step may lead to them having a better outlook on their greens, which helps when it comes to eating them.
How to eat to get kids to eat vegetables with The Veg Box Company
With The Veg Box Company, you’re able to feed your little ones fresh fruit and vegetables whenever you want! Our Fruit Boxes provide healthy food delivered to your home regularly.
We also have Veg Boxes that can be delivered too, allowing you to give your kids a lot more veggies without ever having to head to the supermarket.
If you’d like to find out more about what you can get from The Veg Box Company, including fruit, vegetables, potatoes, dairy products, and much more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 01772 724406, or email us at hello@thevegboxcompany.co.uk.