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)

Baby Food Recipe: Bananas

Pureed Bananas

Bananas are full of B6, Potassium, Manganese and Vitamin C.  They also are full of fiber which improves digestive function as well as B6 in them aids in transporting iron through the body.  Their sweet taste and smooth texture makes them an easy option for a first food.

Follow this simple recipe to make a quick banana puree for your little one.

Ingredients:
1 banana

Instructions:

Peel banana and place in a bowl
Take a fork and mash the banana until it reaches a smooth, creamy, consistency

Storage:
Store the banana puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to a day
Bananas may brown as they are exposed to air, try to use the remaining banana puree quickly

Baby Food Recipe :: Sweet Potato, Carrot and Corn Medley

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Corn Medley

Looking to add some variety to your baby's diet? Try mixing foods that you already offered to create a unique baby blend.  By now you have likely already offered sweet potatoes, carrots and corn as a first food.  

Try this recipe below which incorporates all three in a brand new baby blend:

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 cup of corn
• Water

Instructions:

1. Peel, core and cube sweet potato and carrot 
2. Place 1/2 cup of corn, sweet potato and carrot cubes in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover the vegetables
3. Boil the corn, sweet potatoes and carrots until tender
4. Place corn, sweet potatoes and carrots in a blender/food processor/hand mixer bowl and reserve water
5. Blend/process/mix and add reserved water until desired consistency is reached

** Ensure that baby has tried all three foods before offering this medley to avoid food allergies**

Storage:

Option 1: Store the sweet potato, carrot and corn medley in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the sweet potato, carrot and corn medley in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipes :: Applesauce

Applesauce

Apples are packed with fiber and vitamin C (great for the immune system).  Their sweetness makes them an awesome choice for a first fruit and they are useful for improving digestive and dental health.

Follow this basic applesauce recipe for your baby's first applesauce puree:

Ingredients:

• 4 large apples (of your choice - my suggestion is to try the sweeter ones e.g. gala [my favorite], red delicious, golden delicious, braeburn, or honey crisp)
• Water

Instructions:

1. Peel, core and cube apples (you can make large cubes maybe 6-8 pieces for each apple)
2. Place apple pieces in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover the apples
3. Boil the apples until tender
4. Place apples in a blender/food processor/hand mixer bowl and reserve water
5. Blend/process/mix and add reserved water until desired consistency is reached

**As a first food make the applesauce more on the soupy side **
**As your baby becomes comfortable with food add cinnamon to the applesauce to add variety**

Storage:

Option 1: Store the applesauce in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the applesauce in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Baby Food Recipe :: Green Bean Puree

Pureed Green Beans

Green beans mild flavor and nutritional benefits make them a great first food for babies 4-6 months and older.  They are rich in Calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and maganese.  To ensure a smooth consistency for young babies (below 8 months) use frozen green beans -- it's less work to break down the skins in comparison to raw green beans.

Below is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup of cut green beans

Water

Instructions:

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil

Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen french cut green beans to the boiling water

Boil or steam for 15 minutes or until tender

Drain green beans in a colander and reserve water

Puree green beans using a blender/food processor/ or hand blender 

Add reserved water until desired consistency is reached

**As a first food make the green beans more on the soupy side **

Storage:

Option 1: Store the green bean puree in air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days

Option 2: Place the green bean puree in ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then empty frozen cubes into a freezer safe air-tight container/bag and save for 3 months (each ice cube equals 1 ounce)

Dinner Tonight :: Stir Fry Chicken and Veggies Over Jasmine Rice

Full day at work + fussy kids = I need a quick dinner before I lose my mind

In my pantry I had just the right combo for a quick semi-homemade meal - STIR FRY
(chicken, pre-cut veggie mix from TJ's, stir fry sauce (sans the high fructose corn syrup) and some jasmine rice)

This first picture is before the sauce was added - I'm thinking I can do his same mix with pasta or another sauce! It's pretty isn't it?

The picture below is of the finished product (in the pan) - I just added the sauce

For my baby girl I cut the veggies and chicken into bite-sized pieces (smaller than a pea) and served I with the rice. [Note: for a creamier texture for babies between 10 and 12 month place in a mini food processor, then blend and add water until desired consistency is reached]

A yummy dinner in just 25 minutes start to finish! Although I prefer meals made from scratch the truth is that as a working mom I have to plan for times like this and that always trumps most fast-food/takeout options.