Baby’s first bite is filled with awe and wonder as they eagerly try every strange combination of fruit and veggie purée you stick in their mouth.
Then the toddler years come and suddenly carrots become science experiments with gravity and peas become ammo.
Rest assured your little one’s particular palette can’t stop them from eating all the colors of the rainbow when you use these super recipes!
Nicole Young, writing for Scary Mommy, knows exactly what it is like to have a child you could never imagine being a picky eater, only to have them turn their face in disgust every time you put a meal in front of them.
Young writes:
“I was shocked by my son’s aversion to eating because when my husband and I initially shifted his diet to solid foods at around 7 months old, he immediately took to everything we gave him. Every fruit, every vegetable, every protein, he loved it ALL. But the love was sadly short lived. Just after his second birthday, all his favorite foods (which was basically everything I put on his plate) became his biggest enemies. The mixed vegetables, the grilled zucchini, the roasted chicken, my homemade mini burgers all became major turn-offs to him.”
But like many moms, Young didn’t give up hope and got creative with how she delivered all the nutrients her son needed.
And that is when she came up with the perfect plan.
What do kids like more than any other food, especially in the summer?
Popsicles!
You won’t find butternut squash or broccoli popsicles in the grocery aisle, but veggies can be tasty in a icy treat when you do it right.
So after some trial and error she perfected the perfect food to feed your picky eater. And the best part is they will think they are having dessert.
Root Smoothie Popsicles:
“Ingredients:
1/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 scoop child-safe powdered greens
12 oz dairy/non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 banana
1 pear (peeled and sliced)
2 dashes of cinnamon
Splash of vanilla extract
Method:
Blend well, pour mixture into fun-shaped molds, freeze until solid (at least 4 hours) and voila!”
Now, if you have an aversion to giving your child what is considered to be “dessert” every night, then try one of these kid-friendly recipes that have been approved by many little food snobs.
Mini Nachos:
Break tortilla chips into child-size pieces.
Cover with cheese, black beans, diced green peppers, and corn.
Bake on 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Pro tip: put the cheese on top to make all vegetables more appealing and harder to pick off.
Lastly, we are going to add a recipe from My Tiny Blue House that checks all the boxes – healthy, bite-sized, and easy to make.
Chickpea veggie nuggets:
- 15 ounces chickpeas cooked and drained
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 cloves garlic to taste or sub 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp olive or avocado oil +extra for cooking
- 1/2 cup oat flour or your favorite breadcrumbs
Mix all the ingredients in the food processor.
Roll into small balls and press down lightly with the palm to flatten. Then place in coconut oil on medium to high heat for 3 minutes each side.
Chances are your precious little balls of energy will discover a new favorite food with one of these recipes – maybe even all of them!
The important thing is that you don’t resort to years of chicken nuggets and french fries because you’re afraid of your child rejecting the homemade quiche you spent two hours on.
There is a vegetable for everyone – you just have to find the right way to serve it up!