Help my family eat more Vegetables when we are picky eaters

[illinoismommy]

Our big weakness is vegetables. We don't eat enough of them. I think this is because I grew up eating veggies "on the side"... say you're eating spaghetti you might have peas on the side... or hamburgers.. maybe green beans on the side. The trouble with this is that vegetables on the sides is so EXTREMELY BORING. As a result when cooking I often just skip making them at all. I prefer recipes where they are cooked right into the dish. The trouble is that I have tried some vegetarian recipes but they seem to be complicated or include ingredients with a strong and unusual flavor. I am a little weird about texture, and we are all picky in one way or another. I'd like to even eat more vegetables raw, but I hate yogurt because the texture is beyond what I can handle (I used to eat it sometimes when younger but no more) and there's only so many times you can eat some veggie with peanut butter as a dip. Also how do you get in the habit of just eating vegetables plain and raw, when the kids object/whine or in David's case-- just plain skip the meal or snack if its not something they like... or they don't have enough teeth to eat raw vegetables yet?

I'm not really sure where to go with this, but we don't get near to the recommended amount of vegetables in a day, and I'm not sure how to get it and enjoy it. I have been trying to find recipes on allrecipes.com but so far have been unsuccessful. Do you have any suggestions?

[Katigre]

Have you read The Sneaky Chef or Deceptively Delicious? Those both have good ways of incorporating vegetables into regular foods (like spaghetti) in ways you will barely taste (or not at all) but it still helps you get them in :). I borrowed both from my library and DD fit our palate and cooking style better, but other friends of mine raved about Sneaky Chef (the reason i didn't like hers was that DS couldn't eat as many of the recipes b/c there was more dairy or prepared foods in them - but very yummy sounding recipes that are kid-friendly!)

[Iansmama]

I put vegetables in smoothies, mix cauliflower in with mashed potatoes, put pumpkin or sweet potato in my french toast batter, use spaghetti squash in place of pasta and hashbrowns, and put them in sauces. If I am trying to get Claire to eat raw veggies, I shred them and let her go at it. That works great for things like carrots and zucchini.

[Apple-Saucy]

I throw veggies in everything I make.

Spaghetti sauce I throw in carrots, zuchini, chopped spinach, mushrooms etc.

When I make Tuna or Chicken salad I put shredded carrots, finely chopped onions celery and cucumber (which helps stretch a single can of tuna into 4 sandwiches!

Sometimes changing the way you prepare a veggie helps it become more palatable. I discovered that I detest canned veggies (what we ate when I was a kid)

[ReedleBeetle]

We have found frozen veggies generally work better for us...and taste better too. We don't waste as much as with fresh. I make fruit smootie drinks with spinach and carrots in them. I keep meaning to add carrots to my spaghetti sauce and forget everytime. The sweet potatoes in the french toast is an awesome idea!! We also (except DH) love spahetti squash as well as the pasta!! YUMMY!!! I also liked mashed cauliflower either IN potatoes or INSTEAD of potatoes. Add a little cream cheese *if* you can and it makes it REALLY creamy and nice too.

[Marsha]

YOu sound like us/me!! Sometimes we do better w/veggies, but a lot of the time, it just seems too much trouble, and I skip them.

I absolutely second the idea of frozen, I think it's the only way I've discovered that I like vegetables. I hate canned and fresh, well except for a few, I don't enjoy fixing them and I hate "having" to fix them by a certain day, etc.

My girls eat frozen broccoli and cauliflower quite a bit, so I buy that a lot. I LOVE Brussel sprouts so I buy those. I throw in green beans (whole becasue I like them that way ) and peas just for a change of pace LOL.

I also give my kids V-i juice on days when I think they aren;t eating well. They both like it. :shrug

[Mama Bird]

I have a big Rubbermaid take n toss thing. It's for bringing things to pot lucks. It's got a flat bottom and a domed top. I clean and slice veggies onto that. Baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, celery...whatever is on sale and looks good that week. I nestle a container of veggie dip in the middle. (In a new covered bowl or wash the outside of the original container...) I keep that on the bottom shelf of my fridge. I take it out at lunchtime and let the kiddos pick their own veggies that way. I also bring it out at snacktimes. Because the veggies are good and cold, they eat a lot of them. I know the dip isn't the best for us, but at least they eat veggies that way. :yes

[Katigre]

Yeah, I almost exclusively do frozen vegetables - the only time I do fresh consistently is for tomatoes and lettuce for burgers and carrots to munch on with hummus.

[illinoismommy]

We have found frozen veggies generally work better for us...


That's what I grew up on :crazy2

[jenny_islander]

Oh, but they're delicious when properly cooked! Check the back of a modern bag of frozen veggies. You'll probably find at least two different ways to heat them up, plus garnish ideas and/or a recipe.

There are tons and tons of delicious veggie ideas in The Joy of Cooking. Basically, if it's on sale, there's a recipe for it in The Joy. This helps me a lot because as a nursing mom on Weight Watchers, I have to put away five servings of veggies and fruits a day. Some basic ideas:

*Lots of different vegetables are tasty when combined with potatoes: colcannon, neeps'n'tatties, etc. Serve on the side with chicken or meat loaf.
*Chop vegetables, cover with a light cream sauce or condensed soup, pour into a greased casserole, cover with a gratin or cheese, bake until bubbly. Add a layer of sliced hard-cooked eggs for a cheap vegetarian meal.
*Just about anything is good when cooked, chopped, and combined with tomato sauce, with or without meat and/or cheese. Serve over pasta or as sloppy Joes.
*Stir-fries are fast and very good! They should be mostly vegetables with just a bit of meat or tofu. Serve over rice--then make fried rice for lunch the next day with the leftovers and some eggs.
*Speaking of eggs, consider: Denver omelet, veggie-rich potato salad, scrambled eggs with veggies, breakfast skillet (fried potatoes and veggies topped with an egg or three), ramen made with chopped veggies and an egg cooked on top of the noodles, or frittatas. (Note: When frittatas were fashionable, you had to go searching for baby this and goat that to put into them. Phooey. They're supposed to be made with leftovers.)
*For raw veggies, search for cut baby carrots, which are sweet and crisp and easy to munch on like potato chips. Baby-cut carrots are something else; they are usually mature carrots that have been thrown into a thing like a rock tumbler to achieve the correct shape. Cut baby carrots are much better. Also look for edible pea pods, which are candy-good, but have to be eaten right away. Slivered sweet pepper is tasty too; each color has a slightly different flavor.

[Sarai]

We have found frozen veggies generally work better for us...


That's what I grew up on :crazy2


I hate the regular bags of frozen veggies, but the new steam-in-the-microwave bags are awesome! The veggies taste great and do not have that funky frozen taste.

I second "Deceptively Delicious". :yes

[ReedleBeetle]

We have found frozen veggies generally work better for us...


That's what I grew up on :crazy2


You still might not like them, but I have also found that only *brand name* veggies don't seem to get weird. We like birds eye the best. And we only eat them steamed if they are fixed plain for a side. We really like poatoes and carrots roasted with a roast too. YUM!

[illinoismommy]

We have found frozen veggies generally work better for us...


That's what I grew up on :crazy2


Actually that's not entirely fair, there was a fair amount of fresh going on too depending on the season, corn on the cob, green beans, tomatoes, etc.

Its just when they are on the side its so easy to skip them. Anyway its been a busy day so I haven't really fully read the thread yet... I'll have to come back later, again.

[Marsha]

It costs more, but I second the Birds Eye steam in the bag. We eat more veggies than EVER due to these things. We eat a bag a day generally of something or other LOL.

[illinoismommy]

I have a big Rubbermaid take n toss thing. It's for bringing things to pot lucks. It's got a flat bottom and a domed top. I clean and slice veggies onto that. Baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, celery...whatever is on sale and looks good that week. I nestle a container of veggie dip in the middle.


I think I should do this and be diligent about it.


I actually do buy birds eye steamfresh veggies because they're so much easier :lol ... gosh it must just be me. I am a tex mex lover, so I think I like spicey things....

I might try the tricky cooking thing too...

[Tuesdayschild]

:popcorn

[KLin]

Ok, I am a vegetarian and my family eats tons of vegies. I also have the deceptively delicious book. Puree and add to whatever you can. No one will know and a half cup is a serving size for most things.

Carrot sticks, baby carrots, carrot chips and snap peas and colored bell peppers and cucumber slices, etc.often with dip for kids, these also travel well for outings.
Dried fruit, roll ups, carob or yogurt covered raisin, apple chips go also.

We make super juice in the juicer for snack alot with apples and carrots and what ever. They have fun making them and the carrot juice is sweet and a good blend veggie option.

My boys eat tomato soup. Make home made by slicing and roasting them then puree with broth and top with something. Oldest likes to fish with goldfish crackers on top.

I make steamed rice with chopped chicken and peas and carrots for the kids. They get a whole grain, protein and veggies. I put in a lot of vegies, and I sometimes make the rice with vegi stock.

I make wraps with tortilla, chopped tomato, lettuce, shredded carrots and zucinni and add lunch meat for the boys.

When I make mexican food I shred the same vegies for fajitas and limit the spices and add them to a quesidilla or taco or encalada for the kids. I Know they will not eat salad yet.

[illinoismommy]

They have 3 copies of deceptively delicious at my library, they are all currently checked out.... but I will definitely look into that one and if it works for us then I may buy it

[canadiyank]

My dh is making shish kebabs right now...chicken, pineapple, coloured peppers, mushrooms, and red onion. :tu Definitely part of the dish.

Tuna fish casserole has a lot of veggies in it, peas, onions, celery, mushrooms and the like, as well as tuna/chicken, and rice.

Taco salad over fritos.

Smoothies.

Pumpkin pie pancakes. Dh mixes a can of pumpkin pie mix with some krusteze mix and adds water until it's a batter-like consistency, then fries them up. Also good with apple pie mix.

Risotto with shredded carrots and other veggies and a good bunch of feta in it makes a good main dish.

We do a lot of roasted veggies with our meat dishes...cut up potatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, etc., drizzle with olive oil and salt/pepper or Italian seasoning and toss to coat. Then roast in a 425 degree oven for 20 mins. at a time, then toss, then another 20 mins. Usually I have a thing of potatoes separately since they take awhile longer, usually 40-60 mins. depending on how thick they are.

HTH!

[illinoismommy]

If you count tomatoe sauce I guess we're not doing too bad?? :bag Well, and corn.... but I never thought of corn as one of the better vegetables for nutrition...

I have some 3 section plastic plates I am using for David and Maya's lunch that I am preparing bento style. That has helped some, except Maya doesn't have many teeth so she can't eat things like raw carrots...

But 5-6 servings of vegetables a day? Well, that's not happening....

[me]

I second baby carrots and smoothies!
I found for the kids its easier for them to eat when I leave out a little snack tray with fruits/veggies to snack on whenever they are hungry. Sometimes it gets licked clean and other days it doesnt.

I put whatever I need to on fresh veggies to get them eaten. They dh and the kids, will choke down broccoli but if I put cheese on it they will have seconds. Same with green beans. I have to saute them in bacon/onion/butter then let them simmer and then they will eat seconds.

And actually fresh picked fruits and veggies are delicious. They taste nothing like those that have been frozen or sat in the grocery store. The kids and I have been known to eat a whole pound of strawberries. Could have had more but dh cut us off :giggle

Smoothies are super easy to make and be able to get a quick 2 or 3 servings in. Then that only leaves you to add another two sometime during the day.

I like to take meals that have veggies as part of the dish and cut down on other ingredients and make them more prominant. Like a stir fry. Put more veggies then meat in. Or a soup. Mexican and italian dishes are good for doing this. They stay really tasty even when you adjust the veggie to pasta ration.

Here's an easy example of how to get 5-6 in.
Breakfast:
Just add a smoothie with your regular breakfast. Maybe serve half the usual breakfast so the smoothie gets drank. Then serve the other half if still hungry.
Tastes Like Strawberry Quick smoothie:
-large carton of strawberrys (1lb)
-1 roma tomato
-a handful of the stems,only, of fresh spinach
-1 very small sprig of parsely
-8oz Dannon Activia strawberry yogurt
-about a cup of rice milk (West soy rice beverage)
-large glass full of ice
sweeten with cane sugar or xylitol(great for the teeth)
(serves 3 small kids glasses and 2 adults or about 3 1/2 large servings)

And I got this from Hink, its pretty good
So here's what I do. I use 1/2 banana, 4 strawberries, a few squirts of cream of coconut (or coconut flakes), pomegranate juice (I'm not sure how much I use, I just pour a little in...maybe 1/2 cup?), handful of spinach, few pinches of parsley, and ice

Lunch: Chicken sandwich with dark green lettuce or spinach, tomatos. You can add avacado or mash some up to be eaten with chips.

Dinner: Anything. By now you have already had the 5-6 serving!

[schmamy]

if you had a good dip, something more interesting than ranch or PB, would it help with eating raw veggies? I have a yummy recipe for warm pizza dip that makes me want to devour raw veggies. lmk if you want it.

[TuneMyHeart]

I hated veggies growing up because they were just canned veggies stuck in the microwave. :sick I like steamed veggies much better, with a little butter and seasonings.

Green beans are good sauteed in olive oil and minced garlic. :yum

We also love squash, zucchini, and sweet potatoes cut into small pieces, then splashed with olive oil, garlic salt, and seasoning salt. Roast in the oven at 400 till done.

Grilled corn is yummy (I know corn's not really a veggie). Wrap in foil, sprinkle with seasoning salt and put on the grill.

We love cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and a little red onion with italian dressing. That's my favorite summer salad.