Hidden veggies Topic

MrsG82017 02/20/23
Im sure most of you have children. Im sorry..I am currently in the phase of my “kids wont eat anything I cook”. If its not Chef Boyardee or Instant whatever they ain’t having it. Even our go to meals of homemade pizzas, crock pot roast and chicken Alfredo are no longer interesting to them.
Help me!

U1193867129 02/20/23
Assuming “most” people have children is not necessarily true and unnecessary.

That being said, having kids help in the kitchen is huge, even if you don’t think they’re capable. I’ve had kids from preschool through fifth grade all help prepare meals. If they’re a part of the process they are more likely to try the food because they “made” it, even if they only chopped a few veggies with a kid-safe knife, or stirred the pot.

From there you can introduce them to new meals using ingredients they’ve seen without necessarily having them help cook every single time.

I’m also a big fan of switching up meals in general. I still remember what my parents cooked when I was a kid- I hate those foods now because they made them all the time and it was boring! If you don’t feel creative, use Pinterest for recipes, or take a meal you cook a lot but switch it up. Chicken Alfredo could be vegetarian, or add their favorite veggies to it, or try adding spice or something crunchy on top (kids love texture).

Finally, speaking from experience, try not to demonize foods like Chef Boyardee. While it may not be healthful to eat that every day, removing those foods completely could lead to an eating disorder, or at the very least an obsession with the foods they “can’t have.”

Hope this helps!

Dietician 02/20/23 replied to MrsG82017
Hi MrsG82017-
Welcome to MyNetDiary! I hope your tracking is going well~

I agree with U1103867129- Inviting your kids to help build the grocery list, prepare the food, and engage with them when it comes to eating can help a lot. It takes a lot of effort and energy to shift the foods your kids gravitate towards.
Ultimately, think of it this way- Your goal is to help them build healthy eating habits-As opposed to getting them to eat broccoli so they can have dessert. This will include helping them learn to eat when hungry, stop when full, and be open to different flavors, textures, etc. Hopefully down the road, they will grow into enjoying vegetables. You might check out this book that helps parents handle picky eating. It is called End the Mealtime Meltdown by Dietitian Stephanie Meyers.

Hang in there! Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)

TheNotDeer 02/25/23
I take care of my younger sister full time and I agree with the above two. But the thing is, sneaking vegetables into pre-made meals is actually very easy. You could purée vegetables and put it in the spaghetti sauce etc..

If that doesn’t work, there’s a product called Vege Hero where the vegetables are literally just powder so you could add it in in front of them and call it spice or something!!

I hope this helps, I struggle with the same thing with my sister.

HorseLover14 03/23/23
Since I’m in my early teens I’m technically still a kid soo here’s my advice:
If they like chef boyardee you make their favorite meal made by Boyardee and then make the same thing but homemade and from scratch. I’d suggest doing a blind test and have them taste each one with our them knowing which is which. Hopefully they will like yours better because it’s fresh compared to canned.
Definitely switch it up and do different dinners. Don’t always do pasta, try rice (Jasmine is the best. Not minute rice) You could try doing make your own taco or burrito bowls, try something other than Italian. I hope this helps!

Dietician 03/24/23 replied to HorseLover14
Hi there HorseLover14-
Thank you for the tips. It is hard to find a way to encourage kids to eat a variety of foods and especially vegetables~
The MyNetDiary app is intended for use by adults who are trying to lose weight and meet health goals. Do your parents and/or legal guardian know you are using the app and communicating on a forum?

In order to use the app, if under the age of 18, you must have approval from your parent or guardian. Here are our terms and conditions for your review: https://www.mynetdiary.com/terms.html

In good health~ Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)

Goose99 03/31/23
I include my kids in the cooking/meal planning process, and have since they were toddlers. Even so, there is veggie resistance and periods of wanting a favorite food often. We let each kid be "in charge" of the meal 1 night a week. They have to tell me their menu plan before I go to the grocery, so we create a written weekly dinner menu each week, and I grocery shop off that (and post it on the fridge). It is pretty quick. But parents get veto power if they do not plan a "balanced" meal. We started by requiring that they have a veggie, and a healthy protein in their "plan" as carbs were never forgotten. As they have gotten better at it, we talk about "eating the rainbow" and including lots of diff colored foods in their plan. What this could begin with for you is - ok, you want to eat canned pasta, so help me figure out a way to balance this out and make it into a meal. once they start adding some healthy things to the junk, you can branch out into more creative meals.

I also love taking my kids to the library to look at cook books. Most kids find the great pictures inspiring and there is something about flipping through the books and getting excited about each other's finds that grabs them better than a web search.

Another thing I do is keep the freezer stocked with a variety of veggies. When my kids come up with an impromptu meal request, it is very easy to say, "sure, just pick a veggie to go with it." And for many kids, the choice makes them more willing to eat veggies. I had one kid on a pea kick for months. She wanted to pick peas every day. But it was easy to thaw out a personal serving for her, and let other family members choose different veggies. The fact that each kid can choose their preference today and not be beholden to their sibling's preference makes for less fights and more veggies consumed.

And while you should parent as you see best, I personally am not a huge fan of the hidden veggies tact. While I love to add extra veg to dishes when I can, I want to model balanced eating to my kids and teach them to eat with balance and moderation. This is training for adulthood, and the goal for me personally is to enable my kiddos to thrive as adults. Thriving includes creating reasonable meals and including veg. We absolutely eat sweets and other special occasion type foods, and my kids certainly complain at times about eating nutritious foods. But they also voluntarily include more veg in their meals now than they did years ago - it is simply a normal part of meals at home.

One last thing that has been great here lately is that I have asked my kids to give me accountability as I try to eat more veggie. They LOVE reminding me to eat more veggies and they are even willing to try new recipes that I find with high veg content. So by "helping mom" they are broadening their own horizons.

I hope some of that is helpful, and even if it isn't, you got this mom! We all have rough moments but you will find a way past this!!

Nourish23 03/31/23
Ooh… How about if you do a twist on Taco Tuesday’s?! Yes!
Potato Tacos
Sweet Potato Tacos
Chic Pea Tacos
Cauliflower Tacos
Bean Tacos

Just to name a few options. Check YouTube and you’ll find fun and easy but best super tasty tacos.

So fun sauces and use things like hummus or make a lime and cilantro cream sauce etc, there’s so much you can create. And they can help.

In the summer believe it or not watermelon 🍉 tacos are so tasty!

Even broccoli 🥦 tacos so so tasty!

Nourish23 04/01/23
I should have added a more specific example so here’s one!
Prepare about a cup of say Navy Beans boiled with no salt ahead of time.

In a larger nonstick skillet sauté 1 diced onion, 3 cloves diced garlic, a tsp of cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 tablespoons chili lime seasoning, a tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp chili powder. Swap out oil and replace it with 1/4 cup of veggie broth to sauté add in 1 full bag of diced frozen colorful peppers. Then add in your beans (drained) warm through and serve with a cilantro sauce, diced avocado, lime juice, hot sauce, shredded cabbage for extra crunch, diced tomatoes and scallions. You can also do a cream chipotle or whatever flavors you like.

Hidden veggies