Bethany Frazier
Price Chopper Dietitian
It doesn’t always take leprechaun luck or magic to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies.
For St. Patrick’s Day, let’s talk about three tips that can help your kids be more adventurous and eat greener too!
- Make new tastes and texture more approachable.
Putting vegetables into dishes they are familiar with, like a smoothie, tots, or pancakes, makes these unfamiliar foods more friendly and approachable. They may not eat broccoli on their own, but once they learn they’ve already tried it – and liked it – they may change their mind!
Try these veggie tots for a veggie-filled upgrade from the regular potato tot. - Offer new foods, don’t force them to eat them.
Allowing your children to see and interact with new foods is part of developing a lifelong adventurous eater. But it can be really frustrating as a parent to buy so much food that seemingly goes to waste. Offering foods in different ways not only gives your children more opportunities to try and accept them, but also allows you to repurpose foods.
For example, you can offer a salad and repurpose the greens into a smoothie. Try this mint chocolate chip smoothie recipe with repurposed spinach to see and save some green.
- Make mealtime fun!
Dinner time is often a mad dash for busy families squeezed in between school and sports practice or other commitments. On top of that kids (and parents) are often tired at dinner, making new foods more overwhelming and parents more easily frustrated.
Making mealtime fun takes the pressure away from just eating the food and makes it about the experience. These green protein pancakes are the perfect way to help your family get excited about dinner for St. Patrick’s Day. Be sure to add sprinkles and maybe even pull out a blanket and make a floor picnic.
