How To Increase The Consumption Of Vegetables In Children
Every parent assumes that their children hate vegetables, so they avoid offering them to them and creating conflict at the table. But if you don’t try it, how are you going to know if you like it, if you’ve never tried it before? Therefore, we are going to reveal how to increase the consumption of vegetables in children without them realizing it.
Although giving them for the first time is complicated, it is important that parents be patient and vary the way of cooking and presentation. Even that you also eat them, since the little ones learn by imitation and you are their example to follow.
Did you know that forcing them to eat them increases their rejection? Or that rewarding them with dessert creates an emotional bond between both foods?
Why is it advisable to eat vegetables every day from a young age?
Both the Public Health Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO) and other nutrition associations agree that they are the basis of nutrition. They hardly provide calories, since they have a high content of water, vitamins and minerals. In addition, they are rich in fiber, which is very satiating, which is key to regulating the appetite and reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods.
Given their richness in the nutrients mentioned above, they reduce the risk of being overweight or obese, colorectal cancer and digestive disorders, such as constipation.
In addition, the vitamins and minerals they contain are antioxidants, so they protect cells and skin from stress and damage caused by external aggressions, such as viruses, bacteria and radiation.
How to increase the consumption of vegetables in children?
How to cook vegetables?
First, make sure the size of the chunks is equal. Thus, you will ensure that, when you cook them, they are tender. And if you also use herbs and spices, you will make them tasty. Even try not to mix several on the same plate or too many colors (1-2 is enough). A good option is to mix them with foods that they like, such as pasta and rice.
Regarding culinary techniques, go alternating the oven, the steam, the sautéed, the crushed … And use them as secondary ingredients in savory cakes or tortillas, as part of a sauce or filling them.
Have you tried to cut them into thin slices and brown them on both sides as if they were chips ? Accompanied with a yogurt sauce, hummus or any vegetable paté they generate a lot of acceptance.
Minichefs for a day, the practice on to increase the consumption of vegetables
Take advantage of the increased interest in cooking so that they decide what to eat, looking in recipe books for children, and participate when cooking vegetables. It is the way they want to try them, as the interventions carried out in schools ensure.
Have you ever considered dedicating a week to cooking dishes from another country? It may be the way for them to learn about world gastronomy. You can choose those in which vegetables are the protagonists, such as Indian or Greek cuisine, or look for vegetarian recipes.
The rainbow on the plate or how to increase the consumption of vegetables easily
It consists of choosing the vegetables by their color and alternating them throughout the day and week. They will eat without realizing it! Do it together every week and based on the vegetables chosen, plan the dishes. To keep track of those that have been tested, make a table in which they appear classified and go marking them with a circle.
Go to a garden or grow plants at home
It will help them to understand the entire process and path they go through until they reach the market or the store. And also to know the origin and carry out the tasks so that the vegetables grow, such as planting the seeds and watering them.
The importance of increasing the consumption of vegetables
As you have seen, being involved in planning and preparing food is key when it comes to increasing the consumption of vegetables, but the most important thing is that you and the people around you eat them.
In addition, it is not only a matter of giving them in the main meals, but also between meals, as a snack. And, if they generate some resistance, give them at least 15-20 times, and in different ways.
Finally, we remind you that at least one of the portions is raw, so the best you can do is dress them with a good vinaigrette.
