Vegetable Dishes Kids Will Love!

Note: The following article is a sponsored post, written by Fullgreen. I hope you enjoy their easy ideas for creating vegetable dishes kids will love!

Kids and vegetables are not always the best of friends, so mealtimes can sometimes end up being a bit of a struggle. Finding new or alternative ways to encourage kids to eat them can really help. From getting them involved in food prep when they’re old enough, to presenting toddlers with something that looks fun to eat, here are a few ideas you can build on.

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Fun Vegetables

Getting a smile out of kids over what’s on their plate can be half the battle in persuading them to try something new. If you can add a game or story element, your chances of success are better. After all, most kids enjoy biting the heads off candy animals, or snapping the arms and legs off gingerbread men! Vegetables can be fun too!

• Cucumber ribbons are much more attractive and fun than normal circular slices. Cut a cucumber in half lengthways, then slice the cut side with a potato peeler to form ribbons.
• Raw carrot sticks are easy finger food snacks but instead of just piling them on the plate, pop them in a small tub so they stand up like fries or fan them out like a sunburst on a plate.
• Vegetable kebabs made from cherry tomatoes, chopped peppers, and cubed cucumber are colorful, fun dishes that kids will enjoy helping to assemble. Add slices of apple and cheese cubes for more variety.

Baked Vegetables

Baking vegetables gives them a completely different taste; one that kids often love. Baking is also a great way to make healthy finger food for toddlers. Favorites include baked carrot sticks or roasted butternut squash, which is versatile enough to eat just as it comes out of the oven, tossed with other veggies, or as a side to meat dishes. It’s even delicious as a chilled dessert served with plain yogurt or added to a smoothie.

Mixing veggies into a colorful baked platter makes food attractive to kids as well as adults. Try baking a mixture of zucchini, sweet potatoes, onions, and peppers, then pull them together into one dish by mixing everything with riced cauliflower. You could add herbs if your kids like them, or just serve them straight from the oven.

Adding a familiar element when you’re introducing a new flavor may encourage picky kids to give it a try. A dollop of ketchup or mayo for dipping can sometimes work wonders.

Disguised Vegetables

Hiding vegetables is something parents get used to doing. If you need to try and disguise some food types to get vital nutrients into children, here are some easy ideas to try:

• Cauliflower pizza crust – Use bought riced cauliflower to cut out the process of ricing fresh cauliflower at home. The cauliflower in pouches is just as good for you, with no additives, and is already cooked and ready to use.
• Beanie burgers – Buy them ready made or make your own with mashed black beans, rice, and bread crumbs, with beaten egg to bind everything together. Fry them until they’re crisp and cooked through, then serve with baked sweet potato sticks.
• Carrot and potato mash – A quick and easy way to sneak in extra veggies is to boil chopped carrots along with potatoes then mash both vegetables together. The result is an orangey mixture that’s sweeter than mashed potato by itself.
• Carrot and apples – When shredded and mixed with yogurt can satisfy a sweet tooth while still being healthy for kids.

Vegetables are probably one of the most versatile food groups, and anything we can do to encourage children to eat them is all to the good. Hopefully one or two of these ideas will inspire you to find even more ways of making vegetables more appealing to kids.

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