3 Creative Tricks to Get Your Kids Eat More Vegetables

3 Creative Tricks to Get Your Kids Eat More Vegetables

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

My daughter is hilarious and curious, but like most toddlers, she’s also stubborn and searching for new ways to push her limits. I’ve noticed a change in her taste buds as well.

Food favorites that she couldn’t live without have changed, and now she has new cravings (which can change from day-to-day). Up until recently, she was obsessed with bananas. We couldn’t even say the word out loud unless we had 3 ready to feed her. But now, if we put a banana on her food tray, she won’t even touch it. Same response with certain vegetables like cooked spinach and sweet potatoes.

So how do you make sure a toddler gets a diverse diet when the only thing they ask for is 2 or 3 foods? It can easily be done—it just takes some creativity!

1. Try Daily Smoothies

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My first suggestion is to incorporate at least one smoothie into their daily routine. If a particular smoothie recipe isn’t an instant hit, try a different variation! Add more fruit and use different ratios of vegetables. I guarantee with a little experimenting you’ll be able to find a recipe that they love and ask you to make again and again! This is a great way to sneak in veggies like spinach, kale, and even carrots (if you have a high-speed blender). 

2. Blend Vegetables with Sauces

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Another great way to sneak in a variety of vegetables is by blending them into sauces! My daughter is currently obsessed with brown rice noodles with marinara sauce. My secret: you can blend almost any vegetable into a pasta sauce and no one will be able to taste a difference! Most recently I blended in spinach, kale, and squash, and she took down the entire plate like normal.

3. Have Fun With Seasonings

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The last thing that has really helped my daughter lately with consuming a wider variety of food, is adding seasonings such us onion powder or garlic powder, and letting her watch me do it! It not only introduces a taste that she isn’t used to, but seeing me put something new on her food also triggers her curiosity to give it a try. For her seasonings, I avoid anything that has added salt, sugar, or preservatives. Onion powder has definitely been the favorite so far!

Many herbs and seasonings are also loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. If your kiddo takes a liking to turmeric, thyme, basil, oregano, cumin, and beyond—it’s a huge win. Their little bodies can make great use of all the nutrition in those fun spices! 

Keep getting creative and don’t get discouraged. Find variations of the few meals they are obsessed with so you can work in all the nutrients that they need!


You can find more from Dr. Kasey Johnson over at her website and on her podcast, The Unlock Wellness Podcast

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  • Sam Bevan

    Who doesn't love smoothies? This is a great trick.

  • Josh Griffiths

    My kids rarely eat vegetables. We mix them with some seasoning and cheese but they are still picky. The fast food culture appeals more to kids somehow. Thanks for the tips.

  • Ian Kershaw

    Great tips, will try them.

  • Daniela Crosbie

    Thank you! I have been struggling to get my kids to eat their veggies for years!

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Dr. Kasey Johnson

Healthcare Expert

Dr. Kasey Johnson is a family wellness chiropractor with a true passion for helping families reach their highest health potential. She is passionate about helping families, especially children, reach their highest health potential. Her main goal is to educate families on steps that they can take to remove the interference in their health to help break the cycle of the current "sick-care" system. She has given many lectures on wellness in the community, worked with local schools and businesses, and had a health and wellness radio show with a team of doctors in 2015. Dr. Kasey Johnson is the host of a weekly podcast called The Unlock Wellness Podcast, where she speaks to health experts, community leaders, and inspiring people who are dedicated to helping others reach their highest potential. Her podcast is available on iTunes, SoundCloud, YouTube, and GooglePlay. Dr. Kasey Johnson attended Palmer College of Chiropractic, Florida Campus, to obtain her Doctor of Chiropractic. 

   
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