Sometimes, getting kids to eat a variety of foods is a nightmare. They tend to get used to certain types of foods and trying out something new is not always easy. Here are seven ways that you can change that!
- If they are involved with the purchases, she is more likely to try them. Take them to the groceries store or food market!
- Grow a vegetable garden in your yard or a pot. Tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes grow easily in small planters with soil. Start your own herb garden. Ask your child to help you plant the seeds and water daily. If your child helps grow the food, he will want to try the vegetables when they are ready to be picked.
- Prepare broccoli, carrots and peas with your child. Younger children can place the vegetables into the pot and older children can cut up the broccoli and carrots with a dull knife on a cutting board. Working on meals and snacks together helps children become interested in the food and eating.
- Place the different vegetables on a tray with lots of compartments. Add cooked meat in bite-sized pieces or sliced hardboiled eggs. Add cheese cubes and sliced fresh fruit. Cut whole grain toast into strips and add them to the tray. Offering a wide variety of foods will allow your child to eat a little of each item.
- Offer dips such as peanut butter or cottage cheese. Many children, especially toddlers, enjoy dipping their food. Choose healthy dips and vegetables. Toast and pita bread can also be dipped.
- Arrange the variety of food into a funny face. For example, spoon hummus on a plate and arrange egg slices as eyes and carrots as a nose. Use the broccoli as the hair. Offer toast and pita bread and more vegetables to dip. Most meals can be turned into this kind of food artwork.
- Cut cooked vegetables or sandwiches with cookie cutters to create new shapes. For example, cut a bread, tomato and cheese sandwich into a star shape with a cookie cutter. Some children will eat a variety of food if it’s cut into different shapes.
Don’t forget to use Kidivite Moxies to teach them more about fruits and vegetables with fun alphabet characters.
