*This is a guest post
Are you having difficulty feeding your little one? Here’s a list of healthy and delicious vegetables children like. If you’re a new parent who’s still trying to explore the world of cooking for kids, this post is for you!
Below, I’ll list down some of the vegetables that you should start including in your kids’ meals. I’ll introduce you their benefits, and suggest recipes as well.
If you can’t get your children to eat vegetables, the following items might help you figure out where to begin. The suggested dishes are very simple to make, so don’t worry about complicated recipes!
Cucumber
Loaded with fibre, water, and B vitamins, cucumber is the perfect vegetable for those seeking healthy digestion.
When I asked my kids what they love about cucumber, they had different answers: my five-year-old son said he likes the dips, and my seven-year-old daughter said she likes the crunchiness (I would usually add it in sandwiches).
Because cucumber has a clean taste, it’s very flexible with dips (my favourite is ranch dressing or sour cream). Because it’s crunchy, you can easily add it to any sandwich for a wonderful extra texture.
Beans
Beans are excellent sources of protein, so your kids will be able to have the energy they need for the day.
I make sure that I serve a bean dish to my children at least twice a week. The thing that I love most about this plant-based veggie is that it’s versatile! One of my recent favorite spins for baked beans is to serve them in tortillas, taco-style.
When cooking beans, I would usually make a big batch and just freeze them for later.
Butternut Squash
Rich in potassium and fibre, this bright and colourful vegetable is excellent for soups and purees. Butternut squash soup is an absolute hit in my house—children and adults love it!
I would usually cook this as a soup dish, but I’ve recently tried it on a lasagna recipe (roasted butternut squash lasagna). It’s not exactly a quick dish to assemble, but trust me, it’s worth it–a nutritious and refreshing take on a classic!
Cauliflower
I know that this is not the most popular veggie for kids, but hear me out! With the right method, you can make this otherwise tasteless ingredient into something so delicious.
Cauliflower is a now favourite of not just the kids, but the entire household, thanks to a simple but delicious (almost addicting!) recipe I learned recently—cauliflower bites with parmesan cheese. This one’s always a hit!
The best part? Cauliflower is packed with antioxidants (beta carotene, kaempferol), and a great source of vitamins C and K, as well as folate and vitamin B6.
Peas
Peas are great sources of vitamins C, K, and B1, as well as protein, niacin, iron, and zinc.
I use frozen peas for quick lunches and dinners. I sometimes throw in a handful of these in Asian-style fried rice, but the dish that’s always a hit with my kids is the fancy-looking, but easy-to-make pea deviled eggs!
Spinach
Packed with niacin, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and K, spinach isn’t exactly one of the vegetables that kids like when served plain. My solution? Add them to sauces!
My children aren’t big fans of spinach, but they almost always polish off their plates every time I make a pasta dish with tomato sauce. I simply add a cup of fresh spinach to my go-to meat sauce recipe. They don’t notice it!
I usually use funny pasta shapes, so it’s more exciting for them. My kids love the zoo animal pasta! Simply sprinkle the parmesan on top, and you’re all set.
Sweet Potatoes
It’s already a well-known fact that most children love potatoes, whether it’s in puree form or a side for protein.
There’s a sweet potato dish, however, that my children just can’t get enough of: sweet potato fries! I would simply cook them the way I cook regular potato fries. Excellent for sandwiches and fried fish (I sometimes replace potatoes with these for fries)
Good luck!
Did you enjoy the article? I hope you try these at home! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below. Suggestions and tips are welcomed as well!
These things are written with children’s taste in mind, but don’t let it stop you from digging in! These are not limited to your kids’ lunch boxes and dinners—you too can enjoy these veggies.
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Author bio:
Vivian has a huge passion for cooking. That’s why she created “Cookingispassio.com” to share her great love with other people. She believes that fine food is not only the key to promoting family cohesion, but it also helps make every member become closer.
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A friend used to tell her daughter that broccoli were baby trees in an attempt to get her to eat it, it worked
I have to say I loved all of those vegetables when I was a kid! Either way, I had to eat everything up if I wanted to leave the table, ha!
So often people don’t offer real, fresh vegetables to children in the mistaken belief that they won’t like them, but children’s palates are far more sophisticated than we give them credit for. If all babies were introduced to food appropriately via baby led weaning and given a wide range of vegetables to start with there wouldn’t be all this supposedly vegetable-phobic children.
Some really lovely ideas. My children have been a bit fussy with vegetables but now they are older it doesn’t seem a problem x
The Cauliflower Bites with Parmesan cheese sound like a winner! I will have to give this a try!
My daughter is generally a really good eater, but will not eat cucumber. I’ve tried it in so many different ways, but she’s having none of it!
My tots adore mushrooms, which is just plain unusual.
My kids don’t like sweet potatoes and I can’t understand WHY!! They are so tasty. I should try and include some beans in their diet more often
Mine love cucumber, corn on the cob and carrots the best and eat them all the time. x
Aw sweet potatoes are the best, especially sweet potato fries. Also cucumber is a good choice too x
Isaac especially is super fussy but he does like sweetcorn, beans and brocolli!
My little one loves cucumbers this list is very spot on.
Taslyn|www.hiddenbeau-t.co.uk
I was the fussiest eater as a kid! This is definitely a good list of options to try.
Another one is broccoli, my daughter loves the stuff.