Tips to Get You Kids to Eat Veggies

If your kid is like most children, they'd prefer to live on a diet purely consisting of chicken nuggets and kraft macaroni and cheese. Throw in something that's green and healthy, and they act like you're poisoning them.

Kids need quality nutrition in order to thrive. If it takes you two hours to get your child to eat a single pea at night, here are 3 tips to help you make it more manageable.

Change the name of foods
One study looking at college students found that changing the name of a vegetable dish greatly increased how much those students were ready to eat it. Dressing up the name for your kids works just as well. It's not just carrots, it's X-ray Vision Carrots. It's not just peas. It's princess peas.

Add sauce
Pairing the unfamiliar with something kids know makes it more likely that they'll eat. Offer ketchup with veggie tots, salad dressing with salad, carrots, and broccoli.

Spice with hunger
Food tastes better when you're hungry, and a hungry child is more likely to accept a new food than a full child. In fact, most kids are confident in their ability to feel full forever if they're full at meal time. Make sure they're hungry before offering a new dish, and they'll be more likely to try it.

As shocking as it may seem, avoiding vegetables is normal in children. Be patient, and your kids will eventually come around to eating them—with a little help that is.