Today’s topic is VEGGIES! Although some of my favorite foods are vegetables, it wasn’t always so. It’s a taste most people don’t acquire until they are older, and even then, some of us only eat vegetables because we know they’re healthy.. not because we like them. Kids seem to be born with an aversion to said veggies. I haven’t come across a fellow parent that hasn’t had issues getting their little ones to eat vegetables. We’ve come up with some wonderful ways to hide veggies in our kids’ meals, right?? The broccoli in the Mac n Cheese, the cauliflower in the rice, the peas in the pasta… anything to get those nutrients into our little ones!  

To say my kids aren’t fond of veggies is an understatement! There have been many tantrums at the dinner table because green somehow made it on to their plates. My kids (as I’m sure most kids) associate green foods with “yucky” foods. They probably won’t come to like the green on their plate until their taste buds have developed a bit more.  This doesn’t mean it’s hopeless! It means we should be encouraging them all the more to eat these beautiful life giving plants! Their vitamins and nutrients are essential to our children’s health, growth, and development… it’s ironic that the taste is sometimes so off-putting. We could get into the science of why they taste like they do, and why the darker the color the heavier the taste, and usually the more nutrients.. but that blog is coming soon! Today is focusing on how to get all those wonderful colors into picky eater’s tummies without the battle.   

Since I was a kid, our house as always observed the tradition of “Fivesies”. During that time of late afternoon (in our house after tea-time), when you would usually reach for a snack before dinner or while dinner is being made, my Dad would always put out a platter. On this platter was a mixture of sliced veggies, fruits, cheese and various dips. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was GENIOUS! Us hungry kids would devour everything on the platter and not even think twice! This also allowed my mom to cook dinner in peace without us constantly asking “is dinner ready yet?”.  

With my own kids I skip the cheese and fruit because if they see them on the platter, they won’t even look at the vegetables. About 5 o’clock every day we put out the veggie platter and the kids come running! I try to incorporate at least 4 different, vibrant colors. There are so many beautiful colors to choose from! Kids are drawn to bright colors and it can help them be more open to trying new veggies, especially if they see their favorite color on the plate! My family happens to be obsessed with Hummus, so a few different flavors are offered in order to experiment with tastes.  

The trick is to eliminate or at least decrease snacking in-between lunch and dinner. The hungrier they are the more likely they are to eat what is put in front of them! By no means starve your children.. but it is good to create the habit of building an appetite before dinner. By making this a habit, this also brings them to think of vegetables first, and in a good and satisfying way when they become hungry! My oldest daughter has taken to grabbing bell peppers out of the fridge and eating them like apples (minus the seeds)! Instead of hearing, “Mooooom, when will dinner be ready?” it’s “Mooooom, is it Fivesie time?” and that is music to my ears…!!  

Creating healthy habits as children will carry into their older years and quite possibly become a delicious family tradition! And as they reach the age where knife handling can be taught, it can become a wonderful bonding experience as you can make the platter together!  

Is it Fivesie o’clock yet?