The one meal category that can make more people cringe than any other is vegetables. Yet why? Is it the fact that they are frequently expensive? Cooking takes too long? Or do individuals lack the skills to prepare them in a delectable way?
Despite the fact that vegetables have vital health benefits like disease prevention and maintaining a healthy weight, people continually fail to eat enough of them. Only 9% of adults and 7% of kids consumed the recommended daily portions of vegetables in 2015. Children won’t eat veggies at home if parents don’t prepare and eat them there either.
The tendency needs to be reversed, therefore let’s organize a fun family veggie challenge. Consider focusing on one vegetable each month and attempting to consume it at least once or twice a week. According to research, it may take a youngster 15-20 exposures to a new food before they accept it. Your child is therefore more likely to conclude they like a vegetable if they eat it frequently during the month.
A nice place to start is with broccoli. Although kids might shy away from this vegetable, it’s an excellent source of calcium, vitamins, and nutritional fiber. Delicious preparation is essential when you and your family consume more broccoli (or any other vegetable)!
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Try These Broccoli Recipes Out!
- Steamed Broccoli: Keep it straightforward or season with other ingredients like sesame seeds and an Asian sauce.
- Roasted Broccoli: has been roasted bringing out its inherent sweetness.
- Add your other favorite seasonings or garnishes, like bacon, to the sautéed broccoli.
- Add broccoli to the main dish of beef and broccoli stir-fry.
- Broccoli apple salad: Combine it with a well-known fruit in a simple salad.
Use These Techniques to Get Children to Eat Broccoli
- Name it something amusing, like “Broccoli Trees.”
- Serve it with dips like cheddar sauce, ranch dressing, or hummus.
- Be silly. Instruct your youngster to try licking the meal before eating it or make a face out of vegetables.
- Make sure you eat your broccoli at the table and set a good example for the others. If children witness you enjoying (and finishing!) your vegetables, they will be more likely to do the same.
Use These Parent-Approved Strategies to Get Kids to Eat Broccoli
- In our family, we frequently include broccoli as a main ingredient in our children’s favorite dishes, such as rice with additional broccoli or broccoli and a baked or twice-baked potato. Additionally, our boys adore dining out. We frequently request broccoli as a side when it’s offered because dining out is already a great treat to add a good link too. Kathryn, a mother of two
- “We invite my kid to join the ‘Broccoli Club’ when she is not enthusiastic about eating broccoli! Everyone at the meal grabs a piece of broccoli and takes a bite together to form the club. She counts down with us: “One, two, three, take a bite!” When a new player, such as a grandparent or friend, joins the game, it becomes even more enjoyable. Liz, a single mother
- In pasta sauce, soups, and chili, we slice up steamed broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. When broccoli is added to their favorite foods, my children are more inclined to eat it. Julie, a mother of four
Enjoy this challenge, and don’t forget to include a different vegetable in each of your meals once a month.
