Hi friends! Here’s a post I have been wanting to pull together for a while and I think a lot of parents can relate. My 3-year-old is in a really picky stage right now. She basically wants to live off of bread, pizza, pasta, and fruit. And hey, same girl. But I am always looking for unique ways to serve her veggies and healthy fats in the midst of all the rest.
Here are some of the ways I deal with my little picky eater. I hope these ideas help you. x
1. Use sprouted bread: We recently made this change because I like the ingredients and nutrition with sprouted bread more than our usual whole wheat. My kids eat a lot of toast and sandwiches so this is a simple way to up the ante without much of a protest. I feel better about my daughter wanting a vegan cream cheese sandwich when the bread has more protein & nutrition.
2. Blend greens into pasta sauces: This is one of the ways my kids enjoy kale and spinach (since they will not eat them in whole form yet). They don’t turn down many pasta dishes! This pesto recipe is a hit in our home (especially since it not only has greens but a whole lot of healthy fats that toddlers need). The recipe calls for basil but make sure you include both basil and kale or spinach for extra nutrition. If your kid doesn’t like “green foods” try to make it more enticing with a cool name, like dinosaur pasta or green Gekko pasta (for those PJ Mask fans). Which brings me to my next tip…
3. Dinosaur pancakes: This is what we call green pancakes in our house. Whatever your favorite pancake recipe is, use it. Before you add the liquid, blend it quickly with a handful of greens until smooth and then add. This is my tried and true recipe.
4. Make a dip: We are currently working on enjoying more raw veggies in our house for Willow (like red peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes). This has been tough so I serve with a dip to make them more enticing. Something like hummus or even a quick cashew cream & herb dip. There are plenty of recipes out there so find one and see if it helps. My kid usually licks the dressing off, but hey, it is continued exposure and one day she may actually take a bite, right?
5. Chocolate nut butter: Jazz up toast with something more enticing. Willow went through a “I don’t like peanut butter” phase so I mixed a little unsweetened cocoa powder into it one day for toast and she gobbled it up. It also makes a great dip for fruit or crackers.
6. Load up oatmeal: If we had a rough/picky day, the next morning I make up for it with a hearty bowl of oatmeal. I stir in extra healthy fats, such as: ground flax, chia seeds, cashew cream, coconut oil, nut butter, ground walnuts, etc. This kicks off the day in a big way. Bonus if you let them help add the ingredients. Kids love to help.
7. Bake veggies into bread and muffins: We love a good loaf in this house. Pumpkin or butternut squash loaf is our favorite but also zucchini bread. I will often half the sugar in the recipe (and use coconut sugar) and show my toddler what we are adding (“This is made from zucchini! Isn’t that cool?”) She may not eat zucchini as is but the more she familiarizes herself with it, even baked into muffins and breads, the more likely she is to come around. There are so many awesome recipes out there… head to Pinterest!
8. Grate it up: Grate veggies like carrots, zucchini, or sweet potato up and add to soups/stews/sauces.
9. Chickpea or red lentil pasta: This is a small change that can ease our worries when it comes to iron intake. We love regular pasta, too, but lentil or chickpea pasta is a nice change of pace.
10. “Sprinkles”: Anything that can be sprinkled is called “sprinkles” in our house… nutritional yeast, ground nuts, chia seeds, ground flax, etc. Add sprinkles to oats, pasta dishes, yogurt, whatever! I swear, making up fun names really helps in our house. Maybe it will for you, too.
