How you’re going to sneak veggies into your child’s diet is not one of the first things you think of when you become a mom. You also probably don’t even consider that your child is going to refuse said veggies in the first place.
Unfortunately, though, as most kids get older, it gets harder and harder to convince them to eat their greens. I mean who can blame them? I can see why they aren’t fans of eating something that looks so yucky.
About two months ago, I started a new nutrition plan because I wanted to eat healthier and be more conscious of what I was putting into my body. This meant adding a lot more vegetables into my diet and experimenting with them. Since my kids saw me trying all these yummy new foods, they wanted to try them too. Kids are little sponges; they are watching what we do, what we say, and what we eat. When they see us eating healthy and enjoying it, they too want to jump on board. It has been pretty amazing to watch them try new things and discover their likes and dislikes. My oldest is extremely picky, but my middle will try everything once. That’s not to say all we eat are healthy foods because, let’s face it, they are kids. We still eat our fair share of mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, and sugary sweets, but now we just have a little more balance with our veggie intake.
I am going to share some things that were a hit with my kids and maybe you will try them for yourselves!
Ground turkey and cauliflower rice stuff bell peppers – These are a huge hit with all three kids. Basically I brown the ground turkey, pop some steamable cauliflower rice in the microwave, boil the peppers for 5 minutes, stuff them and add cheese on the top. They actually ate this version better than the original one!
Roasted broccoli – this one is very easy, and my kids eat it like candy. Get you some broccoli, olive oil, seasoning and an oven set on 425 degrees. Cut the broccoli into equal pieces, coat with olive oil, season and cook for about fifteen minutes, then flip and cook an additional fifteen minutes or until your liking. You’re welcome!
Cauliflower crust pizza – My kids are HUGE pizza fans so I thought for sure there was no way of getting this one over on them. I was wrong! I was also hesitant but I am happy to report that we all enjoyed it without feeling a carb coma afterward. We have made our own and used plenty of different store brand ones, and they are all delicious. Some are better than others, though.
Spinach in smoothies – Doesn’t everyone do this? Definitely not the first to figure it out, but I can hide a serious amount of spinach in a smoothie and the kids think they are getting a treat. Win!
Cauliflower rice in gumbo – alright all you Cajuns, don’t kill me. Cauliflower rice in place of white rice in a gumbo? What the what? When you have a good thing why mess it up? Am I right? Well, dare I say I think I preferred the cauliflower rice as well! Try it next time and be sure to let me know if I have officially gone cauliflower crazy.
I make superhero muffins with spinach and a banana and maple syrup rather than refined white sugar. They are tasty and the kids absolutely love them. They call them hulk muffins.
That’s so fun! I love it. Thanks for commenting!