My children always have a problem with eating vegetables. Although, I tried to feed them vegetables from a young age, it seems like we are always struggling.
They eat salad (mainly cucumbers and lettuce), carrots at times, corn, spinach, peas but that’s about it.
My mother used to cook vegetables, when I was small, but it would always be with meat. So my diet, as a child, was more meat and a very small quantity of vegetables. My husband, on the other hand, didn’t eat vegetables and still doesn’t like them but is trying to (and has a lot) change his diet and he wants our children to get used to eating vegetables. But it is not easy picking out their food for them and forcing them to eat something they don’t want to!
Here is a nice article from about.com by: Vincent Iannelli, M.D
If there is one thing that parents could change about their child’s eating habits, it would usually be to get them to eat more vegetables. Most kids, even picky eaters, do fine with all of the other food groups – but vegetables are often an issue in many households.
How do you get kids to eat more vegetables?
Do your kids need to eat vegetables?
Vegetables
Vegetables are an important food group and a key part of the food pyramid, so ideally, your kids would eat some each day.
In addition to being high in fiber, most vegetables are low in calories, low in fat, and don’t have any cholesterol. Most are also important sources of many vitamins and minerals, including calcium, potassium, vitamin c, and vitamin A.
Eating fruits and vegetables can also decrease a person’s chances of developing many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, stroke, some types of cancer, and may even help prevent cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
Vegetable Recommendations
One of the first questions parents have about vegetables is how many do their kids actually need to eat each day.
Following the food pyramid, some general recommendations include that:
2- to 3-year-old children eat 1 cup of vegetables each day
4- to 8-year-old children eat 1 1/2 cups of vegetables each day
9- to 13-year-old girls eat 2 cups of vegetables each day
14- to 18-year-old girls eat 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day
9- to 13-year-old boys eat 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day
14- to 18-year-old boys eat 3 cups of vegetables each day
When thinking of serving sizes and daily recommendations for vegetables, keep in mind that 1 cup of vegetables is usually equal to:
- a medium baked potato
- a large ear of corn on the cob
- 3 spears of 5-inch long broccoli
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 large stalks of celery
- 1 cup of cooked vegetables
And since that can be spread over two or three of your child’s meals and perhaps even at a healthy snack, it becomes much more reasonable to think about your kids eating their vegetables each day.
List of Vegetables
In addition to eating their recommended serving of vegetables each day, it can be important to try to vary the types of vegetables that your child eats so that he gets all the nutrients that different vegetables have to offer. For example, it would be better if your child eats, broccoli, peas, lettuce, carrots, celery, beans, and potatoes, instead of carrots being the only vegetable that he eats.
When serving vegetables to your kids, try to vary their diet and choose different ones from this list of vegetables:
- Dark green vegetables (broccoli, greens, spinach, dark green leafy lettuce)
- Orange vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash)
- Dry beans and peas (dry beans, black eyed peas, tofu)
- Starchy vegetables (corn, green peas, white potatoes)
- Other vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, zucchini)
Vegetable Recipes
You may have to do some experimenting, but you can likely find some fun ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables. For example, it often works to buy fresh vegetables and not overcook them. These vegetables will have a lot of flavor and will still be crunchy, which is a big plus for many kids.
Some popular and kid-friendly vegetable recipes include:
- vegetable soup
- vegetable lasagna
- pizza with vegetable toppings
- egg omelet with bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms or tomatoes
- sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, bell peppers, or onions as toppings
- whole grain pasta with vegetables added to the sauce
- carrots and broccoli with a dip as a snack
- vegetable wraps
It can also help to let your kids choose vegetables at the grocery store or farmer’s market, or even grow their own in your backyard.
What about hiding vegetables in your child’s food? This is one way to get your kids to eat more vegetables, but you aren’t really teaching them healthy eating habits. Instead, it can be better to offer your child small amounts of vegetables at each meal, don’t force him to eat them, and model healthy eating habits yourself.
(See the complete article here) http://pediatrics.about.com/od/nutrition/a/0308_vegetables.htm
Assalaam alaikum Umm Reem,
I am so glad you brought this up!
I just started juicing them and drinking them and giving them to my older son. Put 2carrots and half or 1 other vegetable(zuchini, cucumber,tomatoes, spinach, broccoli etc) and blend with water and drink! They are tasteless! I put dates to add flavor and even the carrots make it a little sweet. I am so happy eventhough my son complains and says he doesn’t like it, I make sure he drinks a glass with me before lunch or anytime during the day. the same for fruits(I haven’t tried those yet). All the recipes are in the book called Recipes for Life from God’s Garden by Rhonda J. Malkmus and its by Hallelujah Acres Publishing. Their website is hacres.com.
My revert freind drinks it all the time and her skin is so good! Masha’Allah. Ofcourse you may want to ignore the biblical quotations and other info about not eating any meat coz its bad for your body.
The other info about not microwaving your food, exercise and getting enough sunshine is so good for you.
Sorry I didn’t mean to write such a long comment but I am just so excited that I and my son are finally getting alot of veggie in our bodies
JazakAllah khair for the suggested readings Tarannum. I know feeding vegetables to kids is the heardest thing to do.
There was a time when I was making fresh vegetable juice for my kids (like v8). Then I got tired of cutting all the vegetables etc.
I am thinking of starting v8 with them.
My husband forces them to eat vegetables at the dinner time! 🙂
Assalamu’alaykum Umm Reem
Try making samosas or eggrolls with grated carrots, peas and jicama with little meat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jicama
When frying is not a healthy choice for the family, try subtitute the skins meant for dumplings and boil them in stock soup instead. http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=7281
I remember staying with a Pakistani family when I was a student in England. They consumed very little vegetables like once a month until I started introducing vegetable pakoras and Japanese tempuras. Alhamdulillah. We introduced fun times with vegetables in the kitchen and everyone will choose their favorite greens, reds or yellows. We boiled carrots, drizzle honey and then grill roasted them. MashaAllah the smell was so delicious that even their two year old boy asked for brocolli for every dinner time there on!!!
We also took them for specials weekend trips to the vegetable farmers market and let them enjoy choosing whatever they want. In the summer months, we drove to the all-you-can-pick strawberries farm and all the berries in the world (gooseberries, raspberries, loganberries etc).
Try grated carrot in muffin or smooties with yogurt. Sister Tarranum ideas rock!!!
Also sprinkle Mung bean sprouts in noodle soup.
Tired of cutting vegetable? Stock some frozen mix veg in the freezer and have them handy for tired hungry moments.
Hmmm..now I am hungry myself.
I found this article by the authors of The Art of Hiding Vegetables.
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/parenting/school/schheat/articles/0,,186627_673293,00.html
I agree with you it doesn’t really teach healthy habits.
We don’t really have a problem with our oldest, she is 11. She is old enough that she understands her role and is obedient to us when we ask her to eat more veggies. For our youngest 2 ,ages 2 and 4, we do not buy them things that we do not want them to have. They are old enough to understand it if we tell them something is not or is good for them and why. We also had their dentist and pediatrician talk to them about how healthy and too much unhealthy foods affect them. We do treat them every once and awhile, but not if they are not eating their veggies as we want.
How about a small garden they can care for? I am also thinking of once or twice a week eating vegetarian. I am not sure if my family is ready for this.
Something strange/funny I read once. A lady started to dye all the food she cooked green. She said this was done till her daughter was no longer picky.
I am still learning how to prepare meals in a more healthy manner.
The responses from your readers have been great.
I love Sis. Tarannum’s ideas.
Sis Khawla’s ideas are super excellent.
I will for sure try them out!
I think it is important for the whole family to be involved in planning and preparation.
I am eager to see how others encourage their children to eat more healthy.
Sister Umm Reem and Muslimhomeschooler, your suggestions introducing vegetables to family meals is very commendable. It is never too late.
Look at the lists of superfoods here and another Ten Superfoods that scientists have came out with. All of them are plant based of either vegetables, beans, fruits, and roots except yogurt!!!
SubhanAllah, why must we eat meat everyday?
More ideas on how to include vegetables, fruits, roots and seeds:
• Make own roti by replacing 20 percent of atta flour with flaxseed meal.
• Make Couscous with squash, zucchini, butternut and chick peas
• Avocado dip or slices in salad
• Tofu – crushed to replace all or part of ground meat (tofu can cause allergy to some), try tofu in brownie too.
• Substitute Soya milk in smoothies (keep frozen peaches or berries handy to reduce chopping time)
• Try Indonesian gado gado (replace peanut with sweet potatoes)
• Try tempeh in spicy coconut sauce
• Hummus in vegetable wrap in panini grill a vegan riot: oh panini grill…..I love u so
• Experiment with calzone (turnover pizza) or the Arabic fatayya and substitute with slices of vege sausages from Boca or Amy’s kosher foods or quorn nuggets (mushroom origin)
• Make own mung bean sprouts with kitchen Sprouters Get the kids to experiment with different seeds like wheatgrass, fenugreek or alfalfa for their homeschool biology project and add those sprouts in tuna sandwiches or in fritters (pakora).
• My mom used to make us fritters, mixing flour with bean sprouts, chopped green onions, shallots, little water and shrimps!!! shrimp fritter – Google Image Search those pictures are making me hungry.
May Allah bless all the moms in the world for their time in the kitchen… and the dads for working hard to bring foods home. Alhamdulillah