Getting Kids to Love Their Veggies: Fun Strategies to Encourage Plant-Based Eating

January 10, 2025

As parents, we all know the age-old struggle of getting kids to eat their vegetables. It's an uphill battle filled with “yuck” faces and negotiations that would make a seasoned diplomat proud. However, incorporating more plants into their diet doesn’t have to be an impossible task. With creativity and persistence, you can help your children develop a love for plant-based foods. Here are some fun strategies and tips to make raising a healthy eater more doable and enjoyable for you and your little ones.

1. Make It Colorful and Fun

Kids are naturally drawn to vibrant colors, so why not make their plates a "rainbow"? Create colorful salads, smoothie bowls, or fruit kebabs that are visually appealing. Let your children pick out various fruits and vegetables at the grocery store or farmers' market. The more involved they are in the selection process, the more excited they’ll be to eat what they help choose.

2. Involve Them in Cooking

Getting children involved in the cooking process can work wonders. Let them wash, peel, tear, and chop (with appropriate supervision and tools) vegetables. Make it a family activity where everyone has a role; this not only teaches important life skills but also fosters a sense of ownership and pride over the meals prepared.

Hands-on Tips for Getting Kids Involved

• Prepare quinoa taco meat together, and let them build their taco with toppings like shredded cheese, diced sweet peppers, mango slices, and guacamole. 

• Build a rainbow salad with ingredients like roasted chickpeas, grated cheese, sunflower seeds, diced red and yellow peppers, sliced blueberries or grapes, finely chopped broccoli, salted avocado, pine nuts…

• Make homemade pizzas together using a whole wheat base and a variety of plant toppings.

  
  

3. Sneak in the Good Stuff

While it’s important for children to recognize and appreciate whole vegetables and fruits, there’s nothing wrong with some occasional clever “sneaking.” You can blend spinach into smoothies or incorporate finely grated zucchini or carrots into pasta sauces and baked goods. Even if you offer new foods in plain sight, serve familiar foods with them to avoid overwhelm.

Hands-on Tips for Packing "Good Stuff" Into Their Fave Foods

• Swap in soy milk for water when cooking or baking.

• Mix a little almond meal into your pastry and bread flour.

• Add a tablespoon of tofu into smoothies and milkshakes for a thick, creamy texture and ample protein.

• Make tofu mayo by blending tofu, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and agave, then let them dip their veggies.

• Prepare miso sauces  - miso paste is packed with protein, vitamins, and probiotics and makes an excellent addition to soups, casseroles, sauces, and dips.

• Toss in a handful of quinoa or chia seeds when cooking white rice. The "speckled" dish gives added fiber, protein, antioxidants, and omega 3s.

5. Limit Grazing Between Meals

Letting your child graze on empty calories, such as juice and crackers, between meals is a surefire way to ruin their appetite and miss out on vital nutrients at meals. Kids are more apt to try new things if they are hungry. Moreover, juice and highly processed snacks can lead to cavities. Milk and water are the recommended go-to beverages for kids and adults.

5. Lead by Example

Children are great imitators, so be a role model for eating plants. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your meals and express your enjoyment of them. When they see you enjoying a colorful salad or snacking on carrots, they are likelier to want to try them.

Hands-on Tip for Modeling Healthy Eating

• Research shows that interactive reading of picture books about healthy foods improves kids' and toddlers’ willingness to try new foods.

6. Make Plant-Based Snacks Accessible

Snack time is a great opportunity to introduce more plant-based options. Avoid limiting their intake of fruits and vegetables - they will not likely "ruin their dinner" eating fresh produce. Keep fruits, cut-up veggies, or whole-grain crackers with hummus easily accessible for after-school snacking. Give them an "anytime" snack drawer in the fridge. They will enjoy the independence and build their confidence. If possible, always have a bowl of fruit or cut-up veggies on the counter or table at your child's eye level; over time, they will start to reach for them. Consider preparing snack bags together so they always have a healthy option at hand when hunger strikes.

Hands-on Tip: Harness Their Creativity

• Create a signature trail mix. Gather your favorite cereals, nuts, chocolate chips, a few M&M’s, and seeds, and let your child go "nuts" creating a colorful mix. Fill individual snack bags with the mix for easy grab-and-go munchies.

7. Encourage Garden Participation

If space allows, start a small garden with your kids. Whether it's in your backyard or some pots on a balcony, planting seeds and watching them grow can spark an interest in the foods they’re growing. Plus, it’s a great way to teach them about where their food comes from and the importance of caring for the environment.

8. Make It a Game

Turn eating plants into a fun challenge or game. Use a bingo card with different fruits and vegetables, and every time they try something new, they can mark it off. Consider using rewards for trying new varieties or incorporating family competitions like “Who can eat the most colors in a day.” Avoid food rewards, which can instill a dysfunctional relationship with food and raise the risk of obesity later in life. Examples of nonfood rewards include a family movie night, game night, stickers, badges, or fun outings.

9. Keep It Positive

Avoid making mealtimes a struggle. Keep the vibe fun and relaxed. Use the time to enjoy each other as a family. Studies show we absorb nutrients better when we enjoy meals together with limited distractions like TV or cell phones.

Children need to develop and respond to their body's hunger cues and food choices. Controlling too much of your child's diet won't teach them to make healthy choices and could lead to disordered eating. Parents are responsible for what, when, and where to eat, and the child is responsible for how much and whether to eat.

10. Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Finally, be patient. It can take multiple exposures to a food before a child may decide to try or like it. Celebrate small wins, and avoid pressuring them to eat something they don’t want. Maintain a positive attitude, and remember that it’s all part of building their relationship with healthy food.

Author Stacee Raber Nault, MS Nutrition Education

References

Brown, J. E., Lechtenberg, E., Splett, P. L., Stang, J., Wong, R., Leonberg, B. L., & Sahyoun, N. R. (2020). Nutrition through the life cycle (7th ed.). Kindle version. Cengage.

de Droog, S. M., van Nee, R., Govers, M., & Buijzen, M. (2017). Promoting toddlers' vegetable consumption through interactive reading and puppetry. Appetite, 116, 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.04.022