Instilling healthy eating habits in children from a young age is incredibly important. Kids often have strong cravings for specific foods that might not provide the essential nutrients needed for their best growth and development. They tend to show a special inclination towards junk fried food or sugary foods. Such foods may not be good for their body.
Fried junk foods and sugar-heavy foods tend to give them an immediate energy rush which kids enjoy and thus prefer these foods.
In such scenarios, the essential veggie-based nutritional diet gets neglected hampering their growth and development. Consuming ample portions of a veggie-based diet is essential for the mental and physical growth of children.
The challenge parents face is how to get their children to consume veggie diets instead of insisting on junk or sugary foods. This is where some bit of creativity with veggie-based recipes can be of immense help to parents.
This blog talks about certain fun veggie-based recipes that parents can try out for their kids. These fun recipes will not only make eating veggies enjoyable for children but at the same time ensure they get their full quota of nutrients.
Adopting some of these recipes will also ease the parents’ tedious task of trying to convince their kids to eat veggie-based food.
Also read : Vegetarian and Vegan Diets in Childhood: Ensuring comprehensive nutrition without animal products
1) Omelette for kids
Whip up a speedy and delicious omelette by blending veggies with eggs. Your kids will adore the omelette, enhanced by veggies that not only boost nutrition but also add extra flavour. In addition to eggs, you can include veggies like tomatoes, sweet onions, broccoli, spinach, kale, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, and more!
2) Sweet Potato Baked Chips
Kids love chips or French fries, but these may not be the healthiest option. How about treating them to a fascinating dish of sweet potato chips or wedges? Not only are they packed with nutrition, but they are also a breeze to prepare. Simply pop them in the oven, sprinkle some spices, and they are good to go!
3) Spinach Muffins
Muffins are another sugary product which catches kids’ fancy. Why not make a healthier version of their favourite muffin – a green spinach-based muffin added with the goodness of cheese and wholemeal flour? Easy to cook and fun to eat. They are especially good for weaning food for toddlers.
4) Green Burgers
Burgers are another one of children’s hot favourites. Though not too admirable on the nutritional scale. Why not conjure up a veggie-based green burger which is crunchy and tasty while also having high nutritional value? Instead of the fried potato-based patty, you can conjure up a spinach-based baked patty which could be equally tasty but much healthier than the regular junk burger. It is an excellent way to get kids to consume spinach which in usual cases is an extremely tedious task for the parents.
5) Lasagne
Vegetable lasagna is another enjoyable vegetable-centred recipe that is simple to prepare and delightful to eat. It is a straightforward dish where you can incorporate veggies like red peppers, eggplants, cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, and basil leaves.
Also read : Teaching Kids About Leafy Greens and Their Iron Content
6) Pizzas
Pizza is another food item that fascinates most children. In many houses, Sunday lunchtime is often pizza time. Can we think of ways of making pizza much more healthier than it usually is? Parents can do this by churning up their homemade veggie-based pizza, and that too without much effort and in quick time. Starting with a basic pizza crust, you can layer on wholesome veggie toppings like red and yellow tomatoes, broccoli, green olives, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and more. Pizza provides an excellent base to experiment with a range of vibrant veggie choices, including corn and spinach.
7) Veggie Tacos
Tacos, a Mexican delight, is another hot favourite among the kids. Parents can churn up a healthy and nutritional veggie-based taco recipe for the kids to try out. Tacos offer a great opportunity to incorporate nutritious ingredients like black beans, garlic, avocados, lime, onion, and pomegranate. It is a fun meal for kids and a simple one for parents to prepare.
8) Veggie Fajitas
Another popular food from abroad that kids will love to try out, and is equally conducive to adding a variety of veggies and other ingredients with a high nutritional quotient. Ingredients such as black beans, coriander, avocado, guacamole, red and yellow peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, and lime make this dish magical to the taste buds and equally nutritional for the kids.
9) Singapore Noodles
The Chinese food revolution took India by storm in the late 90s. The storm has strengthened over the years with especially kids vying for Chinese dishes such as noodles as their favourite food items. Specifically, regular noodles may not be the healthiest of choices for the kids. However, Singapore noodles are healthy and vegan which makes them an ideal fun and nutritional meal for kids which is also easy to prepare.
10) Thai Green Curry
Continuing with the theme of experimenting with international veggie-based recipes for kids, Thai green curry is another option worth treating your kids with. A vegan recipe which can utilise healthy ingredients such as baby potatoes, green beans, garlic, coconut milk, and cherry tomatoes. It comes up to be a sumptuous meal that can be served with steamed rice for an enjoyable and nutritional experience for the kids.
Also read : The Importance of Eating a Rainbow of Vegetables for Kids’ Health
At EuroSchool, we believe that introducing kids to the joy of cooking and eating veggies in exciting ways can foster a lifelong love for healthy eating. Enjoy these veggie adventures with your little master chefs!
