How to Make Your Child Eat Veggies

I love tinda. Please don’t ask me how and why. But I do. And so does Aarav. And I just can’t stand lauki. And so does Aarav. So, you see the pattern here.

Making your child eat veggies is not a tough task. Though there are some kids who repel vegetables and only survive on potatoes. Why I say that? Because my son only survived on aloo paranthas till he was 2. And then I could see how it did not do well for him.

So we tried different options to introduce vegetables in his world of potatoes. And we found the best way in soups. Although they are not the best option considering nil fiber, it’s one of the ways to make your child have the goodness of vegetables. Carrots, tomatoes, beans and onions along with chicken act as a very healthy soup option. So for a while, roti and soup was a regular meal item for my son.

But we found out that, it did not satisfy his appetite and as he grew older, he wanted more. He ended up having more rotis than soup. So we explored another option. Stuffparanthas.

Other than aloo paranthas which are his favorites, we introduced gobhi, paneer and mix veg paranthas. So initially we had to deal with a lot of repelling. Not eating the full meal, or just having bits and pieces. It took us some time to deal with this transition. We added salted curd, butter which made the transition smooth.

It has been proven that adding other flavors while cooking vegetables adds to the taste that kids love. We have experimented a lot in this area. Sautee with butter, dash of spice and garlic has made the vegetables taste delicious.

Have a wholesome meal. If you offer one vegetable with one roti, chances are he won’t even touch it, let alone finish the meal. So include dals, curd, salads, rice and roti in one meal. Introduce different vegetables every day. Do not force on finishing but do emphasize on tasting everything that is on the plate. By doing this, they may start having the habit of tasting though which they may find their favorite vegetable.

A veggie loaded pasta or a pizza is also a great way of sneaking in veggies in your kid’s tummy. Broccoli, carrots, beans, onions, capsicum are some vegetables that gel with pastas and pizzas. Make sure you choose whole wheat bread only while preparing.

Blending food is another option, but that may work with toddlers who are learning their world out of the packaged foods.

And lastly, eat veggies yourself. Have that habit of having at least one green vegetable on the table every meal. It’s a matter of habit and practice through which children learn about healthy eating and understanding the importance of balanced diets.

And kids don’t have much understanding in the initial days to realize what’s good and bad to eat, so we have to set an example in every way to help them make the right choices! Don’t we?

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