Creative Ways to Incorporate More Veggies and Fruits Into Your Kids’ Diet
Kids refusing to eat their fruits and vegetables is a tale as old as
time. Although favourites among adults, broccoli, brussels sprouts,
asparagus, apples, oranges, and other fresh fruits and vegetables might
as well be a form of punishment in the view of many kids. We were all
there at one point, but kids getting their daily recommended dose of
vitamins and minerals found in veggies and fruits is crucial for growth
and development during their young years and will kick-start their
healthy habits early on.
With that in mind, there are a few somewhat sneaky ways you can
incorporate fruits and vegetables into kids’ favourite foods and maybe
even convince them that fruits and veggies can be a treat rather than a
punishment.
Here are a few ideas to include more servings of fruits and veggies into their day.
Produce in Every Meal
While it might seem like fruits are best served during breakfast or as snacks, and veggies belong to lunch and dinner, the key to getting your kids to eat more produce is to include it in every meal. For example, avocados, tomatoes, and even broccoli can be brekkie-friendly by using toasters to prepare bread for loaded avocado toast. You can even chop veggies up into little chunks in a food processor to incorporate into a morning omelette or scramble. It might take some time to adjust, but if you start early, your kids will prefer avocado toast over sugary cereal to begin their day.
Veggies as a Substitute
An easy way to introduce more vegetables (or to vary your kids’ veggie intake) is to replace traditional ingredients like potatoes, rice, or noodles with an alternative veggie variant. Riced cauliflower made in a food processor is becoming popular among many because it can take on any flavour depending on your seasoning and the texture works well as a stand-in for rice and mashed potatoes. It can also be used as a way to thicken sauces or gravy.
If your kids are like most and look forward to spaghetti night, try switching up traditional noodles with roasted spaghetti squash. Its stringy texture is quite similar to noodles, and with a little convincing, your kids will learn to love it as the neutral vegetable takes on the flavour of your red sauce. Finally, with a spiralizer attachment for your stand mixer, you can make zucchini noodles that feature all of the fork-twisting, slurping fun of regular noodles with some added nutrients. With the vegetable sheet cutter attachment, you can create veggie lasagnes with fresh sheets of sweet potato, or apple and peanut butter wraps in minutes.
Nutritious Smoothies
Smoothies and blenders are practically a match made in heaven and are the perfect way to give your kids a quick boost of fresh fruit and veggies. Let your culinary imagination run wild and try different fruit combinations that taste like a treat but pack a vitamin punch. The best part is you can incorporate spinach and other greens into the smoothie, and your kids won't even know.
Green Desserts
Lastly, although it might seem treasonous to blend veggies into desserts like brownies, if you do it right, a little zucchini grated into the batter will go undetected. Also, add fresh berries to your kids' favourite desserts for a vitamin boost to end the night.
While the long-term solution is to foster a love for fresh fruits and vegetables, in the short-term, finding ways to boost your kids’ daily intake of vegetables without them knowing will get them used to the flavour, and pretty soon they’ll wonder why they’re craving fresh zucchini all of a sudden.
About KitchenAid®
KitchenAid® creates tools and appliances that help you do more in the kitchen. Since 1919, its primary mission has been to help everyday people explore their culinary creativity with tools that act as their benchtop assistants, taking care of tasks while they explore new flavours and cooking techniques. The KitchenAid® Stand Mixer line has been a benchtop staple since its introduction 100 years ago, and remains extremely useful to this day, especially with its impressive line of attachments. The company also offers toasters, blenders, and more—even an artisan electric kettle. With products built with a purpose and sleek designs, anything is possible with tools from KitchenAid®.
To see their full line of kitchen essentials, visit kitchenaid.com.au
Here are a few ideas to include more servings of fruits and veggies into their day.
Produce in Every Meal
While it might seem like fruits are best served during breakfast or as snacks, and veggies belong to lunch and dinner, the key to getting your kids to eat more produce is to include it in every meal. For example, avocados, tomatoes, and even broccoli can be brekkie-friendly by using toasters to prepare bread for loaded avocado toast. You can even chop veggies up into little chunks in a food processor to incorporate into a morning omelette or scramble. It might take some time to adjust, but if you start early, your kids will prefer avocado toast over sugary cereal to begin their day.
Veggies as a Substitute
An easy way to introduce more vegetables (or to vary your kids’ veggie intake) is to replace traditional ingredients like potatoes, rice, or noodles with an alternative veggie variant. Riced cauliflower made in a food processor is becoming popular among many because it can take on any flavour depending on your seasoning and the texture works well as a stand-in for rice and mashed potatoes. It can also be used as a way to thicken sauces or gravy.
If your kids are like most and look forward to spaghetti night, try switching up traditional noodles with roasted spaghetti squash. Its stringy texture is quite similar to noodles, and with a little convincing, your kids will learn to love it as the neutral vegetable takes on the flavour of your red sauce. Finally, with a spiralizer attachment for your stand mixer, you can make zucchini noodles that feature all of the fork-twisting, slurping fun of regular noodles with some added nutrients. With the vegetable sheet cutter attachment, you can create veggie lasagnes with fresh sheets of sweet potato, or apple and peanut butter wraps in minutes.
Nutritious Smoothies
Smoothies and blenders are practically a match made in heaven and are the perfect way to give your kids a quick boost of fresh fruit and veggies. Let your culinary imagination run wild and try different fruit combinations that taste like a treat but pack a vitamin punch. The best part is you can incorporate spinach and other greens into the smoothie, and your kids won't even know.
Green Desserts
Lastly, although it might seem treasonous to blend veggies into desserts like brownies, if you do it right, a little zucchini grated into the batter will go undetected. Also, add fresh berries to your kids' favourite desserts for a vitamin boost to end the night.
While the long-term solution is to foster a love for fresh fruits and vegetables, in the short-term, finding ways to boost your kids’ daily intake of vegetables without them knowing will get them used to the flavour, and pretty soon they’ll wonder why they’re craving fresh zucchini all of a sudden.
About KitchenAid®
KitchenAid® creates tools and appliances that help you do more in the kitchen. Since 1919, its primary mission has been to help everyday people explore their culinary creativity with tools that act as their benchtop assistants, taking care of tasks while they explore new flavours and cooking techniques. The KitchenAid® Stand Mixer line has been a benchtop staple since its introduction 100 years ago, and remains extremely useful to this day, especially with its impressive line of attachments. The company also offers toasters, blenders, and more—even an artisan electric kettle. With products built with a purpose and sleek designs, anything is possible with tools from KitchenAid®.
To see their full line of kitchen essentials, visit kitchenaid.com.au
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