Contents
- 1. Make him get involved
- 2. Have fun recognizing vegetables
- 4. Offer raw vegetables
- 5. How to eat? Disguise the vegetables
- 6. What to eat? Make gratins
- 7. Eat with your fingers
- 8. Recipe: Make “vegetable sauces”
- 9. Good idea, the plates with compartments
- 10. Dare to mix sweet / savory
- 11. Exotic recipes for adults
- 12. Combine foods he likes
- 13. Yes to pretty presentations!
- 14. Play on shapes
- 15. Put some color on the plate
- 16. Vary the textures
- 17. Add flavor to vegetables
- In video: 16 tips for eating vegetables (finally)
- 18. Make the meals a little different …
- 19. Soup is more fun with a straw
- 20. Vegetables that can be cooked in desserts
- In video: 20 good tips to make him like vegetables
1. Make him get involved
From an early age, involve the children in the preparation of the meal to choose the vegetables or to put the ingredients in the pan or in the dish, to pour the vinaigrette or to mash the potatoes. It’s more fun to eat a dish that you have prepared yourself. And not to mention that while preparing the recipes, children often taste everything.
2. Have fun recognizing vegetables
A green mash doesn’t mean much to a toddler. It is important to describe to him the composition of what you are offering him. Beforehand, show him the vegetables as they are in the raw state. He will identify them better, have fun recognizing them and finally will surely have much less apprehension to taste them!
3. Vary the cooking methods
Steaming preserves the vitamins and minerals in vegetables as much as possible, but on the taste side, it’s sometimes a little bland. As soon as your child gets a bite to eat, you can cook the cauliflower flowers in the oven with a little olive oil and herbs, it makes them more crunchy. To make carrots, parsnips, and other vegetables more appealing, also consider cutting them into
sticks and bake them in the oven with a little oil, these are healthy fries!
4. Offer raw vegetables
As soon as your baby likes to have crunchy textures in the mouth, offer him some raw vegetables. Finely grate the carrots, make tagliatelle with the zucchini, cut radish slices… And why not dip them in a yogurt flavored with chives, for example? Delicious and funny.
5. How to eat? Disguise the vegetables
“We are very often tempted to hide vegetables in a preparation to make them eat them incognito! This allows them to get used to them smoothly. For example, to make you want to eat broccoli or zucchini, offer them in donuts. Thus, the child sees the shape of the vegetable and he also tastes it. And then, the donut dough gives crispness. Success guaranteed!
6. What to eat? Make gratins
Another solution to make your child eat vegetables without hiding them: gratins. Pour a béchamel sauce over cooked zucchini. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and bake for a few minutes. This gives thickness to the steamed vegetables. In addition, it is really good!
7. Eat with your fingers
Good manners oblige, it is necessary to eat with cutlery. but every now and then let your child eat with their fingers. Better to eat lots of green beans with your fingers than to peck 2 or 3 with a fork. What to play down the time of meals.
8. Recipe: Make “vegetable sauces”
To help pass the vegetables better, why not offer them in a sauce version? For example, make a pesto made from broccoli, with a few basil leaves, pine nuts and a little olive oil.
And presto, here is an original sauce for pasta. “You can also make homemade ketchup,” explains Christine Zalejski. Just take two tablespoons of tomato puree (or take a ready-made coulis) and add a little vinegar and a third of a teaspoon of sugar. ” That is quickly done !
9. Good idea, the plates with compartments
Rather than mixing all the foods on the same plate, arrange them in the different compartments. Your child distinguishes them and can then draw according to his desires. In addition, these plates mostly have playful shapes.
10. Dare to mix sweet / savory
Do not hesitate to mix the flavors. For example, add a little crushed raw pear in its parsnip or broccoli puree (1/4 pear for 200 g of vegetables). It slightly sweetens the taste of the vegetables, without masking it. Vary with apples or pineapple. In addition, the raw fruit will provide vitamins.
11. Exotic recipes for adults
Make your baby’s taste buds travel! To put cheerfulness on your plate, try them
coconut milk-based dishes to season fish, meats or vegetables. For older children, offer, for example, fish cut into pieces and marinated in a sweet soy sauce, then rolled in sesame seeds and pan-fried.
12. Combine foods he likes
To make your child want to taste, put foods he likes on his plate: for example, chicken nuggets with a little mushroom, which he sometimes has trouble enjoying. Or pasta with zucchini. It will help him to test, while making the experience more enjoyable.
13. Yes to pretty presentations!
We don’t have time to decorate our plate every day, but we can achieve pretty things very quickly. Thus, green beans are used to build a house, a car, a boat …
14. Play on shapes
A puree or diced vegetables, it is quite commonplace. Instead, slice beets or pumpkin, then use a cookie cutter to create different shapes. Quickly done and guaranteed effect!
15. Put some color on the plate
Use spices to decorate its purees. Ideal for enhancing the color of vegetables. In addition, obviously, it gives taste. Cumin spices up the carrots. Herbs from Provence go well with zucchini …
16. Vary the textures
To change the purees, make flans with the vegetables. A texture often appreciated by the youngest. For a quick recipe: mix a dash of agar agar in a little water and bring to a boil. Then add this mixture to mash. Leave to set in the fridge for 1 hour. It’s ready !
17. Add flavor to vegetables
A little spice can give flavor to the sometimes bland vegetables. For older children, also consider adding a pinch of salt – a natural flavor enhancer – or offer the grated cheese directly on the vegetables, it gives them more flavor.
Come on, we put different colors and textures on his plates to make him want to eat!
In video: 16 tips for eating vegetables (finally)
18. Make the meals a little different …
For a change, why not offer to eat with chopsticks every now and then? From 3 years old, a toddler can try. In addition, there are now special “child” chopsticks. Much easier to use than classic chopsticks, because they are held together. Obviously, offer him foods that he can easily catch. Clearly, we avoid the peas that day.
19. Soup is more fun with a straw
Frankly, who said soup is only eaten with a spoon? As soon as your child knows
drink through a straw, in principle around the age of 2, he can eat perfectly this way. It’s much more fun and eating is a pleasure!
20. Vegetables that can be cooked in desserts
Take inspiration from “British” recipes to make him eat a little more vegetables. Your child will enjoy the carrot cake (made from carrots) or the pumpkin pie. More daring but also very popular, chocolate mousse with avocado, or beetroot muffins. Amazing but tasty!