In our special on Healthy Eating we talked two weeks ago about the importance of the contribution of vitamins for the development of children. We said that although we all think of fruits and vegetables when reading about these nutrients, they can also be contained in other foods.
Today I thought to give you some ideas to make vegetables and fruits more appealing to children. On the one hand I think that the best is naturalness, that is to say that we offer children varied meals and our own example, and on the other hand I am clear that many times the way of presenting the meals can increase their acceptance. Why are there children who do not accept these foods? naturally we have a predilection for the sweet taste, and this excludes many vegetables (which can be even bitter), on the other hand when one is hungry one instinctively seeks to satisfy oneself, we will hardly feel full when eating a lettuce leaf. But the latter is regulated by ensuring that children make their five daily meals and do not devote themselves to "peck."
Simple tips to balance fruit and vegetable intake
-Appeal to your properties with imagination: “Before going to play with friends” children can drink their glass of orange or carrot juice so they can find minerals more accurately for their collection (vitamin A is good for the eyes. Or a forest of twigs Broccoli (on tomato slices) sprinkled with lemon and oil will help them keep their defenses in shape, now they don't need to fight infections because their body is already occupied, “they just have to improve the technique with the laser sword ”In stellar battles.
-We all go to the kitchen to prepare rich skewers with vegetables, Do not you see that skewers only with meat are boring !, what better way to bring vegetables: strung on a special stick and roasted or steamed. Cherry tomatoes, corn cobs, pepper strips, zucchini slices, olives, radishes, etc. Well seasoned with oregano and oil turn out very well.
-When you prepare the snack or lunch to take a family outing: include in the backpack easy-to-peel fruits or an airtight container with a varied fruit salad. You can bring a small snack or bread sticks in case you are hungry.
We have to give ourselves that it will be difficult for the little ones to accept vegetables as their favorite food, but it is also true that they show their preferences (and we must attend them), for example my son cooked vegetables do not excite him, but many of them love included in a salad: cauliflower, pepper, natural artichoke heart, ...
-Why not use vegetables for filling homemade pizza or cannelloni? to the crushed meat that we start to fry, we can include chopped onion, rolled mushrooms, etc. It is good that they get used to different flavors.
-I personally do not like to "hide" food so that they do not realize what the dish is wearing, but the purees are very rich, and the grated carrots or celery combine very well with the meat, peas can also be included or chard in tortillas, we are simply varying the presentation but not hiding anything.
-He most revitalizing breakfast, is a bowl with bits of strawberries and apples (or apples and bananas) covered in orange juice and sprinkled with cane sugar. It is a strategy to use two or three days a week, after all we can put hydrates and proteins in the backpack to eat during lunch.
Always remember that our trick is persistence accompanied by generous doses of imagination. But the truth is that the variety of colors and aromas of vegetables and fruits will be of great help.
