Getting Your Toddler Excited About Vegetables

Toddlers can be quite finicky eaters. Sometimes it may seem that all they want to eat are macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. These things are great in moderation, but to grow strong, healthy children they need to get their fruits and veggies in. If your kid is like mine, they just look at food and KNOW that they aren’t going to like it. I always remind my daughter that I am a picky eater too, and Mommy will never feed you anything gross!

• Shop with kids
• Set a good example
• Offer choices and variety
• Use dips
• Make veggies into shapes
• Have kids help prepare veggies
• Hide them

                Like many things, toddlers like to do things on their own. Somehow when it is their idea, they are more apt to doing what we secretly want. By taking your toddler grocery shopping with you, or to a farmers market, and having them pick out some vegetables to try, they may be more likely to eat them. A lot of times if I am eating something, my toddler wants to try it to. Make sure you are setting a good example by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables yourself, to show them just how delicious they are. Toddlers love to help prepare foods. Let them help get all your supplies together to cut up veggies, and then eat them as a snack. You can find fun shapes to cut your veggies in that will make them more interesting too. Find dips for veggies that your toddler can use, and always try a variety of foods to allow your toddler choices.

                If your toddler still has no desire to explore vegetables, you might need to hide them! Make smoothies with spinach, kale, or avocado mixed with berries, yogurt, and ice. Throw in shredded carrots with your taco meat, or slip in some broccoli and cheese into muffins. There are tons of healthy hidden vegetable recipes on Pinterest, that I’m sure you’ll find some that work. The most important thing to remember is to keep trying. Instilling good eating habits in your toddler will last them a lifetime of healthy eating, so do not give up by any means.