As a parent, you want your child to eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, getting your child to eat their veggies can be a struggle.

If your child is a picky eater or simply doesn’t like the taste of many vegetables, you may be wondering how to get them to love these nutritious foods. Fortunately, there are tips and tricks you can use to help your child learn to love vegetables.

1. Start Early

The earlier you introduce your child to vegetables, the better. From the time your child starts eating solid foods, offer them a variety of vegetables. Pureed and mashed vegetables can be mixed into your baby’s cereal or other foods.

You can also offer small pieces of cooked vegetables for your child to try. This will help your child develop a taste for vegetables from an early age.

2. Make Vegetables a Part of Every Meal

If you want your child to eat more vegetables, make them a part of every meal. You can include vegetables in breakfast by making omelets with spinach or serving a side of sliced tomatoes or avocado.

For lunch and dinner, make sure to include at least one vegetable with the meal. This can be as simple as serving carrot sticks or cucumber slices alongside a sandwich or offering roasted vegetables as a side dish.

3. Get Creative with Preparation

If your child is reluctant to eat certain vegetables, try getting creative with preparation. For example, you can puree cauliflower and mix it into macaroni and cheese or blend spinach into a smoothie with fruit.

You can also try roasting vegetables with a little bit of olive oil and salt for a crispy and flavorful side dish.

4. Let Your Child Help with Meal Preparation

Children are more likely to eat their vegetables when they have a hand in preparing them. Let your child help wash and chop vegetables or stir soups and stews.

This will give your child a sense of ownership over the meal and make them more excited to try new foods.

5. Offer Rewards

While you don’t want to create bad habits around food, offering small rewards for trying new vegetables can be helpful. For example, you might offer a sticker or a small prize for each new vegetable your child tries.

This can help your child feel proud of their accomplishments and motivated to keep trying new foods.

6. Be a Good Role Model

If you want your child to eat their vegetables, you need to lead by example. Make sure you’re eating plenty of vegetables in front of your child and talking up how delicious they are.

This will show your child that vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet and encourage them to try new things.

7. Keep Trying

Finally, it’s important to keep trying when it comes to getting your child to love vegetables.

It can take many tries before a child develops a taste for a new food, so don’t give up if your child doesn’t immediately take to a vegetable. Keep offering a variety of vegetables prepared in different ways and eventually, your child will start to enjoy them.

Conclusion

Teaching your child to love vegetables can be a challenge, but with these tips and tricks, you can help your child develop a taste for nutritious foods.

Start early, include vegetables in every meal, get creative with preparation, let your child help with meal preparation, offer rewards, be a good role model, and keep trying. With these strategies, your child will be on their way to loving vegetables in no time.