Get kids to eat vegetables

Have you ever made peas and carrots for dinner and put them on your child’s plate? If so, now you know the many ways children will hide these green and orange pieces from their plates. They will lose them on the ground. They will feed them to the dog. They will hide them in their napkins. They will place them under another item on your plate. Children will try anything not to eat the peas and carrots in front of them.

Take those same veggies and add them to fried rice or fettuccine alfredo and all of a sudden, kids gobble them up.

We love dips at my house. I make spinach dip, artichoke dip, broccoli dip, and cauliflower dip. Here are some sauce recipes that my kids have enjoyed over the years:

cauliflower sauce

1/2 head of cauliflower

1 green onion with lid, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons sour cream (you can also use yogurt or mayonnaise)

2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix (powdered)

Break cauliflower into florets, to cook. In a medium saucepan, bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Run under cold water to stop cooking; drain well.

In a food processor, puree cauliflower and green onion until smooth. Add sour cream and dressing mix. Process 1 minute. Put in a bowl and cool before serving.

spinach sauce

1 package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and drained

1/2 cup chopped parsley or parsley flakes

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together and chill overnight to allow flavors to meld.

Note: I use light sour cream and light mayonnaise and it’s still delicious.
And finally, a very simple artichoke dip:

artichoke dip

8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

Cut the artichoke hearts into small pieces. Mix all the ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees, about 25 minutes, until melted and lightly browned.

Another favorite way to help kids eat vegetables is to put the vegetables in a marinara sauce. Cut the vegetables quite small. They will add a wonderful flavor to the sauce and the sauce will be nutritious for children. The sauce can go over any type of noodle. It can also be poured over cooked fish or chicken.

My final suggestion is to start a vegetable garden. Children love to eat what they have grown themselves. When the child has helped to water, weed and cultivate the garden, it is great fun for them to pick the vegetables and then eat them. They are so proud to eat their own work.

These are just a few alternatives to peas and carrots on a plate.