How to Get Your Child
to Eat Vegetables

These all look like interesting recipes or ideas to try, but we've found three simple things that produce veggie eating:

!.make sure the veggies are cooked (or not) to your child's liking. My 5 year old prefers raw carrots, my 2 year old must eat them soft. Nobody eats overcooked broccoli, but they devour it if it's bright green and just tender.

2. Flavored vinegar. We use balsamic and/or rice vinegar at many meals. Easy! No fancy recipes. Shake it on steamed broccoli and voila. Ditto parmesan cheese.

3. Put out veggies when they are hungry and you're making the meal. They will get eaten.

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I agree with cmnsky all children are not the same. I grew up as a semi-veg. My 15 year old daughter likes the idea of being a vegetarian however she couldn't take more than 2 bites of the veggie burgers that I love but she will eat veggies with her dinner. My 8 year old son is an almost complete carnivore he will eat pretty much any meat you put in front of him but he will only eat peas, corn and potatoes for veggies and my youngest who is a 6 year old boy only just really started eating meat. He likes veggie burgers. His favorite veggies are broccoli and spinach. Him & his brother used to share plates the 8 year old would eat the meat and the 6 year old the veggies. We make trades and conscessions at dinner so that our kids get a little bit of everything so they are balanced. No I wouldn't put bacon in my green beans but I also wouldn't tell another parent that they shouldn't. It's an idea and if it get's some kids to eat their veggies who am I to complain

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To the vegetarian moms: not all children are the same. For instance, my daughter will not touch a vegetable if her life depended on it. I make vaggies with every meal and have since she was born. I place them on her plate and every night she does not eat them, oh she'll take a bite and tell me she doesn't like them. So, I supplement her diet with vitamins. Not all kids are the same and what works for yours does not work for others. And, eating meat is not an unhealthy choice. Your lifestyle choice is yours, you shouldn't knock other people's choices.

BTW, there's no way she would touch the green beans with bacon either. :)

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I agree with the first comment. As a vegetarian and mother of a vegetarian, I don't understand why people have such a hard time getting their kids to eat veggies. If parents ate healthier and started from infancy with healthier options, then children would be used to them. My child's favorite foods are fruits and veggies, especially tomatoes!

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I agree with Wellarentwespecial. They were listing this as a suggestion (which I might add, is great!). Instead of reprimanding an idea that you don't like, use the idea of it but in a more vegetarian friendly manner like with tofu instead of bacon. To your comment of "there is something so wrong with using meat to get children to eat vegetables"..... What is so wrong with that exactly? Maybe you should try it before you knock it!

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I agree, don't use meat to get your kids to eat veggies. Although we DO use lots of bacon bits....bad for us!

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Wow, your daughter is so proactive. Good for her. However, just because you don't eat meat doesn't mean you have a right to condemn those who do. There are lots of people who will cook that green bean recipe because it looks good to them, and there is nothing wrong with that.

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