Getting kids to eat their vegetables isn’t always easy!
I’m pretty lucky that my daughter will usually eat them, but it’s always nice to try to change up the way I serve them or find new ways to serve vegetables at every meal.
I mean, do you often think of how you can add vegetables to breakfast or snack time? I know I can fall into an easy pattern of serving something like peanut butter toast or yogurt for breakfast, which are still healthy, but even a meal like breakfast can include some vegetables without much effort.
If you’re trying to get your kids (or maybe even yourself!) to add more vegetables to mealtime, here are a few easy ideas I’ve been trying lately!
Breakfast
- Make oatmeal with pumpkin or sweet potato puree
- Add sliced peppers and onions to home fries or hash browns, like this easy recipe
- Scramble some chopped spinach and mushrooms into eggs like this recipe
- Use spinach, kale or cauliflower in a fruit smoothie, like this blueberry cauliflower smoothie
Lunch
- Instead of chips, have carrots, celery or pretzels with hummus. FYI – Costco sells a large family size container we love!
- Make chickpea “chicken” salad sandwiches in place of tuna or chicken salad – I love this particular recipe.
- Add chopped celery, cucumber or carrots to homemade tuna or chicken salad
- Make a vegetable cream cheese to use as a sandwich or wrap spread – FYI, that recipe can be cut into halves or thirds
Dinner
- Add broccoli or peas to mac ‘n cheese –This is my favorite mac ‘n cheese recipe
- Add black beans and corn to taco meat
- Add veggies like peppers, mushrooms and olives to pizza, whether you make it at home or eat out
- Serve roasted vegetables as a quick and easy side
- Add chopped spinach to your spaghetti sauce, either store bought or homemade
Dessert
- Make black bean brownies
- Try chocolate squash muffins – these are a family favorite!
- Serve chocolate hummus with pretzels or strawberries – I like the Boars Head brand, which I’ve found in the deli section at Kroger
- Make carrot and zucchini muffins
