Connections: How to Get More Produce Into Your Kids
By Nancy Yergin, MS,
RD, LDN, Forest County Penn State Extension
If you have children or grandchildren who are reluctant
when it comes to eating vegetables and fruits, you are not alone. Most
care givers of small children go through stages where the kids won't eat
anything that's good for them. The good news is that if you keep offering
(not forcing) produce-rich meals, children will eventually give them a
try. The bad news is that it can take up to 14 times to get to that stage.
So, sometimes you have to be resourceful in order to slip those
good-for-your foods into their daily fare. Here are some tips to get your
family on track.
1. Make healthy fun packs. Get yourself some of
those great snack size plastic bags which come with zippers or
press-n-seal closures. Make up baggies of cut vegetables, cut fruits,
raisins, dried fruits and/or mixtures of whole grain cereal with dried
fruit. Have these ready to go for snacking on the run. They fit in
pockets, book bags, and purses.
2. Experiment with fruit. Get your kids involved
when shopping. Start in the produce aisle first. Allow them to pick out
fruit to eat during the week. Encourage them to try new items to and
choose different colors each week. Take these home and research about
where the item comes from and how it grows. You can do this on-line (use a
search engine such as
google.com) or use books from the library. This makes a great family
project that is far better than watching TV.
3. Experiment with vegetables. Have kids pick out
the vegetables for family meals. Ask them how they would like you to fix
them. If you don't have a vegetable repertoire already (and some people
don't) you can buy some simple vegetable cookbooks or find recipes online
or check out the cookbook collection at your local library. Involve kids
in the preparation process. Little kids can tear lettuce for a salad into
bite size bits. Older children can peel cucumbers, carrots with vegetable
peelers or knives. This is an opportunity to teach kitchen safety with
knives, so be prepared to supervise. Use the tip above in number 2 to
learn about the vegetables you prepare.
4. Be sneaky. Sometimes you have to slip stuff
into your family's diet without them noticing. Here are some ways to sneak
more fruits and vegetables into your family's meals:
A. Cauliflower can be put into mashed potatoes. Add small pieces of
cauliflower to the cooking water about half way through the cooking
process.
B. Frozen vegetable medley's can be pureed into pasta sauce with the help
of a blender or food processor. Assorted vegetables can be chopped fine
and added to pizza - right under the cheese (remember to use a light
sprinkling of reduced fat cheese!). Soup is a great place to hide
vegetables.
C. Anything "extra" is helpful. Add raisins to cereal and oatmeal or put
fruit such as a banana into peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Add pureed
carrots to macaroni and cheese; puree them in the cheese sauce before
adding the macaroni. Add grated carrots and zucchini to muffins and
breads. You can even add beets to chili - they give it a beautiful red
color.
5. Add a touch of creativity. Small children
might like fun-shaped foods on their plates. You can put the entrée as the
"face" and put a fruit and vegetable in each ear. My son loved
animal-shaped pancakes with bits of fruit cooked in. It looks so fun they
start eating them right away. Older children might like being
creative themselves. Allow them to build their own salads, baked potatoes
or tacos. You just supply all the healthy ingredients for their
masterpieces. Don't mention that they're eating their veggies (at last!)
and walk away, smiling.
Penn State is
committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its
workforce.
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