If the little trees metaphor no longer holds the appeal it once did with your children, you’re in need of some new tricks to sneak leafy greens and vegetables into their diet.
One of the fiercest marketing battles in the world takes place at dining rooms tables, where parents plead with little ones to eat their vegetables.
It’s clear: Green vegetables, especially those dark leafy ones such as spinach, kale and watercress, are great for our eyes. So how to you invest in your kids’ eyes and health without having to take on a daily battle at the dinner table? Try these new ideas.
8 SNEAKY TIPS
DON’T OVERSELL
New research shows that parents’ green urges are often too aggressive. Yep, the airplane spinach, the songs using words rhyming with broccoli; kids can see through it all. Don’t tell them it’s healthy or that it will make them strong, research suggests*. When giving food to children, nothing helps more than no message at all. Overzealous marketing usually misfires with kids.
Instead, let children make their own decisions on what they eat, but with the major caveat: Choose what food to put in front of them. Don’t pitch, but don’t let them do the shopping either.
MAKE "MONSTER PANCAKES"
Blitz some spinach into your pancake batter with a hand blender. Peas work well too.
Feeding your kids veggie sticks and dip sounds good in theory, but kids these days are clever. They’ll use the same carrot stick and double-dip until all the dip is gone. Solution? Make the dip extra nutritious by adding spinach for a hulk like Green Hummus.
MAKE 'SUPERHERO PESTO PASTA'
Every kid loves pasta! But why not make your pesto supercharged with some extra greens? Check out our favourite go-to Kale Pesto
PLANT A GARDEN WITH YOUR KIDS
They’ll love watching the greens grow, help care and harvest them and will love to help cook them up for dinner. The best part: green veggies like spinach and kale grow really well, and herbs are easy to use in the kitchen. Suddenly that green leafy thing is not so terrifying; it’s something they grew themselves.
WIN THEIR HEARTS WITH CHOCOLATE
Does your little one have an aversion to green edibles? No worries, just add some cacao. Label it ‘chocolate’ and everyone’s happy. Add it to smoothies, to savory muffin recipes, and why not try this Choc ‘n’ Berry Mousse with hidden greens.
BLEND INTO ICY-POLES
So yes, we condone tricking. To make green icy-poles simply make a green smoothie (half a banana, loads of spinach and kale, frozen blueberries, water), and freeze the mixture in appropriate trays. Kids love these frozen ‘treats’ and eating greens this way is so much more fun!
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