Strategies to Get Kids to Eat More Vegetables + Spinach Smoothie Recipe (That Your Kids Will Like!)

Did you know that the CDC said that 93% of kids do not get enough vegetables on a daily basis?

Why is it that kids are always against eating vegetables?  What is it about them (the veggies not the kids, LOL)?  Kids seem to be able to spot vegetables at a drop of a dime and they meticulously navigate throughout their plate to eat everything BUT those vegetables. 

I honestly thought that by making my own baby food for the kids that I would avoid this exact scenario, but magically when they turned 3ish they became picky eaters! Imagine that! My kids only eat broccoli (this sounds great, but try eating broccoli day in and day out for every week).

I've tested several strategies to get the kids to eat more vegetables and was successful with most of them.  I am going to share them with all of you with the hopes that you can use them to make some headway in this department : ) (see below)

These strategies work in my house I hope that they will work for you and your little ones!

In addition to the strategies I wanted to provide information regarding the recommended intake for kids by age from the CDC, please see below:

   

Source: www.cdc.gov

                                         

Now for the recipe.  The easiest way to get them to eat their veggies is rule #5 above - HIDE THEM! I have hidden the vegetables in lasagna, tomato sauce, potatoes, stir fries and countless other dishes (check back soon for some of these recipes and others will definitely be featured in my upcoming cookbook).  

With that said, the easiest (no fuss) recipe for this is a smoothie.  Below please find my 4 ingredient smoothie recipe.

4 Ingredient Spinach Smoothie

Serving Size: 2-3 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 

10 Frozen Strawberries

1 Banana (cut into pieces and frozen)

1 cup of orange juice

1 cup of spinach

Optional:

Chia Seeds

½ cup of yogurt (no sugar added)

Instructions:

1.Combine all of the ingredients in a blender

2.Pulse to desired consistency (add water as needed to ensure desired consistency)

Cooking with Kids :: Fruit & Waffle Kebabs

Today I had the honor of performing cooking class for the preschoolers my kids school.  It was tons of fun and I was amazed that 50 preschoolers ages 2-6 were actually able to fully partake in this activity.  We started the activity by reading an animated book about food to set the mood that we love at my house and it was a hit with the kids.  We then transitioned to the tables for assembly of our own kebabs with a focus on healthy eating.

Our kabobs incorporated fruits and healthy spreads alongside waffles.  We learned how to make patterns and counted our fruit and the kids even got to practice fine motor skills by cutting!  Below is a kid-approved recipe for Fruit and Waffle Kebabs - try them tonite!

Note:  Any fruit will do! If you do not have strawberries or bananas please feel free to sub your favorite fruits!

FRUIT & WAFFLE KEBABS

Serving Size: 2 skewers                    

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Ingredients:

4 cups (prepared) of your favorite pancake batter mix

½ lb. Strawberries

4 Bananas

¼ cup Chocolate Spread, jelly, or your favorite spread

Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1.Heat waffle maker.

2.Combine all ingredients per the instructions of your favorite pancake batter mix.

3.Once waffle maker is to desired temperature, spray  waffle maker with cooking spray and pour ½  cup of batter on waffle maker.

4.Make 4 waffles.

5.Let waffles cool and then cut each waffle into 12 pieces.

6.Coat waffles with your favorite spread.

7.Assemble kebabs using a skewer until full ensuring an equal mix of waffles strawberries and bananas.

Cooking with Kids :: Pizza Bagels

Has your tiny chef been looking itching to cook with you? My 5 year old loves to cook and I am always searching for a dish to make with him.  Though he often assists me with cooking in the kitchen he really wanted to cook his own meal from start to finish.  Pizza bagels were a favorite that I used to make in camp and I thought that they would be perfect for him to make from start to finish.  They came out just as good this time as they did when I was a kid and he loved them!  Below please find the quick and easy recipe.

Prep Time - 5 minutes (prepping is essential for the kids - set everything out in cups and dishes for them to access)
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (though kids usually eat just one half of a whole bagel)

Ingredients:
4 bagels (cut in half)
9 ounces of Your Favorite Tomato Marinara Sauce
1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese (we used part skim)
1/2 t of Garlic Powder
1/2 t of Italian Seasonings
Fresh Basil and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional for adults [pictured above])
Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2. Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray
3. Arrange bagel halves on cookie sheet (ensuring that the inside of the bagels is exposed towards the ceiling)
4. Scoop approximately 1-2 tablespoons of marinara sauce on each bagel and spread so that entire bagel is covered
5. Cover each bagel with mozzarella cheese (be careful not to put too much cheese on the bagels)
6. Sprinkle each bagel with garlic powder and Italian Seasonings
7. Place bagels in oven (uncovered) and cook for approximately 12 minutes (or longer if you like the cheese to slightly yellow like me )
8. Allow bagels to cool and then enjoy!

Feel free make these your own and to add toppings that your family enjoys.