Fruit Salad, Kids?
Make a delicious fruit salad and add some veggies to it. Sweeter ones are easier to incorporate, like fresh corn or snow peas, but we also love capsicum for amazing colour, celery or cucumber for crunch or a really ripe juicy tomato (try it with watermelon, you’d be surprised!). Cut up all the fruit and veg into roughly the same size and don’t be afraid to happily admit a vegetable is in there if they ask. You could even turn this into a game – how many fruits and vegetables can you find?
Don’t Make a Fuss.
If your kids don’t like something, don’t make a big deal out of it. Try it again in a different way at a later date. Steamed Brussels sprouts might be a no-no, but maybe roasted with pumpkin next time will win them over. The more times you try with different veggies, the more everyday it becomes. Before you know, the kids will be gobbling up their greens before anything else on the plate!
There’s just no getting around it: if you enjoy vegetables sincerely, it will rub off on your kids. Instead of making the meat the hero of every dish, try making veggies shine in a meal once a week – rather than just a side.
Word it Differently.
When you say words like “healthy” and “good for you” to a child, it doesn’t really have the same impact that it has on adults. Try telling them the story of the vegetable, where it came from originally and how it got to New Zealand. Kids love a good story, so if you can get them to love the story… they’re way more likely to try the product. Even better – try growing it!
Get them involved in the cooking.
Involving your kids in the prepping of a meal can have really positive results. Fun ways to engage kids and encourage healthy eating could include chopping up herbs and vegetables, washing the vegetables, picking the leaves off herbs and mixing the ingredients.
Hannah Gilbert, is an accredited practicing dietitian, recipe developer and culinary nutrition, nutrition communications and marketing specialist with more than seven years’ experience in the food industry. In 2017, Hannah was appointed Head of Culinary at Hello Fresh www.hellofresh.co.nz where she currently oversees recipe development, menu creation and product development.
