Less than 10% of kids eat the recommended 1-2 cups of vegetables per day. Surprisingly, adults are struggling too. The most recent statistics show that 91% of adults just aren’t eating the 2-3 cups each day either.

Every mom (and dad!) knows the wealth of benefits of eating more veggies. But let’s be honest- helping our kids eat more veggies can feel quite overwhelming and frustrating, especially when the push-back comes day after day.

If your child has ever a tantrum over eating his veggies, you are a normal family. But the good news is that you can find some creative strategies that will work for you and your crew.

Registered Dietitian Moms are not immune from the veggies struggle.  But they do have a bit of an advantage as they fuse education, experience and personal experimentation. Here are 22 clever strategies to help kids eat more veggies- from nutrition experts who are also moms who ‘get it.’

#1.Charm Them With Flavor, Not Nutrition Facts

Registered Dietitian Terri Ney recommends, “Don’t use nutrition information- it doesn’t work.”  Instead she says, “Make them taste good! Don’t shy away from adding fats or sugar to veggies.” Her 8-year-old son will exclaim, “Yes mom, my favorite!” when he sees her preparing maple roasted brussel sprouts.

Terri reminds us that food experiences are meant to be flavorful and enjoyed.  “Add butter, roast veggies in oil, or serve dip.” She comments that Ranch dressing and Parmesan cheese make the perfect ‘snow’ for broccoli trees.

#2 Employ a ‘little kitchen helper’!

No child is too young to lend a hand in the kitchen, even for a tiny task. Registered Dietitian Stephanie Van’t Zelfden says, “If I want my daughter to eat more veggies or try a new veggie, I always involve her in helping to prepare it! I let her help wash greens, break green beans in half using her hands, or add spices to a dish of vegetables. She loves to be mama’s helper and she loves trying her creations!”

Sara Haas, Culinary Dietitian, reminds us that “the hands-on experience is meaningful for them. They get to ‘play’ and also enjoy their creation! A great way to build confidence and create smart eaters!”

#3 Slip Veggies Into All Types of Recipes

Clever strategies to help kids eat more veggies could be as simple as sliding more into your typical recipes. Explore a variety of ways to add some veggies into your common family meals.

Karin von Zelowitz, RDN says, “I incorporate veggies in the dishes like carrots in bolognese and cauliflower in mashed potatoes. I find if they can’t see the veggies they don’t mind so much.”

#4 Set Clever Boundaries

As the adult, it’s important to be clear and strategic when it comes to creating normal patterns for your family.  Judith Scharman Draughon, MS, RDN, author of Lean Body Smart Life, shares this story:

When my kids were young, I had a rule: the only foods they could eat in the basement TV room were fruits and vegetables.

The rule lasted through their teenage years, and it went for the friends they brought home, too. My oldest son used to hang with his buddies at our house. These were teenage boys. They congregated in the basement to play serious video games and watch movies on the big screen. You might think they’d choose not to eat down there at all before they stooped to munching on vegetables.

Nope.

“Mrs. Scharman!” the inevitable call came after a few minutes.

“Yes?” I called back.

“Can we have some fruits and vegetables, please?” they asked.

I pulled out my two large, colorful plastic trays and some sugar snap peas, carrots, apples, peppers, and oranges. I chopped them up and poured everything I could find onto the trays in rainbow-colored formations, laughing to myself.

When the trays were piled high, I hollered, “Okay, come and get them!” Teenage feet came thundering up the stairs. The trays disappeared into the underground lair.

The trays always came back completely empty.

#5 Start Early, Like Right Now!

Erase the idea of kid food and adult food.  Bonnie Nasar, mom of 4 and dietitian, says, “Children’s idea of what they like to eat starts young. When each of my kids were babies, I would make a regular dinner & mash up whatever was on the menu for the babies. No store bought baby food at my table! As a result, my youngest, 10 years old, has favorite foods such as arugula salad, roasted broccoli and kale.”

“Don’t shy away from seasonings, even with babies,” recommends Alina Petre.  This Registered Dietitian and mom of a 1 year old says that her daughter enjoys “sauteed kale with a little apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and dried chili peppers.”

#6 No Sneaky Tactics Needed

Some parents feel that the only way to get good nutrition into their kids is by sneaking it in, but when we do this, we aren’t actually helping them learn to like the foods.  And, it can create some mistrust within the relationship.

“I don’t believe in hiding veggies,” Roseanne Rust shares. “I like them out in the open! My philosophy is, ‘offer, don’t force.’”  This mom and Registered Dietitian comments, “Using imaginative stories can be helpful (ie. broccoli could be dinosaur trees) and offering veggies differently helps a child find their favorite [preparation] (raw, puréed, cutting them into julienne strips, trying zoodles, etc).”  She encourages parents keep presenting veggies even to selective eaters stating, “My youngest of 3 didn’t really eat many vegetables (other than corn, potatoes and broccoli) until age 10. But varieties were offered always. Don’t give up!”

Dietitian Maria Adams agrees that parent should offer vegetables “with zero pressure or expectations.”  She states that “while it is important to vary the vegetables, know that it is okay to repeat as well since it could take 30 times before your child decides to take a bite.”

#7 Explore at the Store

Every parent has a few (if not many) stories of dramatic tantrums at the grocery store and this is good reason why many moms and dads avoid taking kids grocery shopping.  However, a strategically planned trip during a time when the store is slow just might be the thing to help your child explore some new foods.

Dietitian Breanna Dale encourages parents to “allow your child to go to the grocery store to pick out a new vegetable they want to try.”  She reminds that the more involvement they have, including preparing and cooking it, increases the likelihood that they will eat it. And, “they might get curious and munch on it while you prep.”

#8 Dip & Dunk

“Dip! Kids love to dip,” according to nutrition expert Sarah Pflugradt.  She says that, “making healthy dips is a great way to get kids to eat more veggies. I’ve never met a kid that doesn’t like ranch, so make your own (like this recipe).  Hummus and guacamole are also healthy options.”

#9 Plant Some Vegetable Seeds & Watch Them Grow

If the idea of starting a garden sounds a little overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.  Registered Dietitian Stefanie Dove, encourages “Start a small container garden or outdoor garden at home. We see in Loudoun County School Nutrition Services that the students who are actively involved in school gardens are more likely to try new fruits and veggies because they played an active role in the process.”

Similarly, Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian, has found gardening to be an effective strategy to helping kids eat more veggies.  “As they watch the plants grow and bear fruit they will want to eat them and learn about where food comes from. Start with a radish or bean plant.”

Mom and Dietitian Mor Levy Volner says, “when my daughter sees the veggies and gets to pick it, she gets much more excited to eat it.” Apparently, her daughter wouldn’t eat green beans until they picked some at a local farm and now, “she eats them nonstop!”

#10 Use the Power of Music & Make-believe

Could some theme music transform your chaotic dinner into a fun adventure?  Clever strategies to help kids eat more veggies may simply need a spark of imagination. Mom and Dietitian Debbie Scheidler shares a recent win: Last night we turned on the theme song to Jurassic Park while our 4 year old pretended to be a dinosaur eating trees (aka broccoli). He loves it and ate two bowls. He will eat almost anything if he gets to be a dinosaur.”

Maybe some fun is waiting to be created in your dining room!

#11 Test Taste a Farmers’ Market Find

Scavenging the market for something new and interesting might become a new fun family game.  Peggy Korody, RD, says “When my kids were young we would do a field trip to the farmers market or produce department at the grocery store. They each had to pick a fruit or veggie they never tasted. We would buy it and look up various ways to prepare it. They didn’t have to love it but just give it a taste. Since they picked the item they were more willing to try it.”

#12 Remove Treats From the Pedestal

Most parents unintentionally make treats a prized food because kids have to eat other foods in order to earn them.  Dietitian Kayla Fitzgerald decided to take a risk with meal time that has really paid off.  

“If we’re having dessert that night I put that on their plates with the rest of their food and they get to decide when they eat it. It takes the dessert off the pedestal and puts all the foods on the same level. If kids are constantly being told to eat their veggies and then they can have dessert this teaches them that they have to eat the not so tasty food (veggies in their minds) to get the good stuff (dessert). “

She reminds parents, “It can take some time for this to work especially with younger kids but you will be surprised how much more vegetables kids will eat when you’re not forcing them to do it! It’s a win win: you get to nag less and they eat more vegetables.”

#13 Explore Veggies With All 5 Senses

While the ultimate goal may be helping a child eat the vegetable, encouraging exposure through all their senses is a great starting place, even if it doesn’t end up being eaten.  

Arielle “Dani” Lebovitz, author of Where Does Broccoli Come From?, encourages parents to “make food discovery fun by using your 5 senses for adventures in food! Trying new things can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be.”  She recommends parents create a ‘pressure free environment.’

“Have kids describe how a veggie looks, how it feels in their hands, how it sounds when touched, and what it smells like. Encourage them to to take a bite and go through the questions again. If they choose not to take a bite, that’s okay! It’s all about exposure. Be sure to honor tiny preferences and empower kids through their journey of food discovery.”

#14 Go On a Farm Tour

Visiting a local farm not only exposes kids to a variety of produce but also teaches gratefulness for how food is grown.  

“If you are lucky enough to have a farm nearby, they often have tours of the fields, stopping in each section and picking something fresh from the ground so you can taste it on the spot,” according to Erin Macdonald, RDN. She mentions that on a wagon tour,  “I’ve had kids taste green onions, purple carrots, greens beans, and yellow cauliflower and they loved it!”

#15 Don’t Underestimate the Power of Food Art

Food that looks good just might help kids take a bite!  Registered Dietitian Liz Weiss teaches a lot of kid cooking classes and claims that “when we turn the veggies into a hands-on experience, they gobble them up happily. I turn sliced bell peppers, baby carrots, cucumbers, and cauliflower florets into a rainbow with clouds (including a hummus or bean dip).”  

But she doesn’t stop there, she “challenges kids to make fruit smoothies and to add at least one vegetable (fresh mint, cucumber, baby spinach). Liz comments that when they make kale chips and kale salad with the kids, she lets them massage the olive oil into the leaves. “Keeping things fun and playful is irresistible.”

#16 Create a Fun Pick-Your-Own Food Bar

Eating out can be fun because each person gets to pick his own meal and customize it.  Using this strategy, you can plan create-your-own-meal nights so that each person has control over how much or little of each ingredient.  But mom and dad choose the bar ingredients so that they fall in line with the family food values too.

Mom and Registered Dietitian Abbie Gellman shares that her family does “a lot of ‘bar’ meals (ie. taco bar, baked sweet potato bar, pizza bar, etc). The kids can choose their toppings and make their own meals. This gives them control and I can put a bunch of veggie options out.”A

#17 Play with Your Food- Yes, Really

Scared of cleaning up yet another mess?!  Allowing and even encouraging food play could be what reduces your child’s anxiety to touch the vegetable and eventually eat it.

Sarah Almond-Brushell, RDN, reminds all parents that toddlers and children learn and develop through play.  “A favorite of mine is making beetroot tattoos. Use a cookie cutter to create a shape and stamp away! If your child wants she can lick the end to re-moisten the tattoo!”

Colene Stoernell agrees that food play is a good idea.  As a Registered Dietitian who works with many picky eating kids, including her own, she shares “we often turn our vegetables that we are trying into cars.”

#18 Open a Book

Some clever strategies to help kids eat more veggies don’t include food at all. Story and discovery through pictures is a wonderful way to develop curiosity and create opportunity for discussion with your child.

Dietitian Bracha Kopstick recommends that parents read books about food and look at pictures of vegetables with their kids. “The more you can expose kids to veggies in a non-threatening environment, the closer they get to accepting vegetables when served.”

#19 Serve a Veggie First Course

Restaurants often offer a soup or salad first course.  Why not at home too? Bridget Swinney, RDN says that she “starts dinner with crudités or a blended veggie soup.” She often serves raw vegetables tossed in a vinaigrette or with a side of Ranch for dipping.  It has become an “expected first course” and her kids “serve themselves the amount they want.”

#20 Add Veggies into Ground Meat

Meatloaf, burgers, and meatballs can deliver a nutrition punch when shredded, pureed or minced veggies are adding into the mixture.  Dietitian Michele Sidorenkov will “pulse mushrooms, herbs and garlic in a food processor until a fine ‘ground meat’ consistency and then mix with ground turkey, chicken or beef before cooking.”  She says it adds “moisture and a meaty flavor” and suggests a 50/50 blend of veggies to protein.

#21 Ask Kids to Help Plan a Meal or School Lunch

Giving kids options or an opportunity to share food preferences may feel scary to some parents who are concerned their kids won’t want to choose any vegetables.  But parents can be smart and offer 2 options or allow the child to choose from a veggie list (grab this colorful list to use for your family).

“Before I go grocery shopping, I give my daughter the chance to share her input and preferences for what she’d like packed in her lunch or on the side for dinner in the coming days” says Dietitian Meg Salvia.  She also says that when her daughter asks for a specific food in the middle of the week that is not an option, she simply replies, “that is not on the menu tonight” and she will discuss opportunities for adding this to an upcoming weekly menu.

#22 Don’t Let Snacks Steal Mealtime Hunger

Clever strategies to help kids eat more veggies may come down to timing. While snacks may be helpful and even necessary to fuel your child’s growing body, they can also influence hunger at meal time.  When kids arrive at the table without much of an appetite, they can be very selective in what they choose to eat. Usually their favorite foods are eaten and less desirable ones are left on their plate.  It is important to keep snacks spaced out well and avoid them within 1-1.5 hours of the meal. If your kids get hungry while you are preparing the meal, placing a veggie tray on the table and allowing them to munch is the perfect way to offer nourishment and buy you some time to finish the meal. —Jennifer Hunt, RDN, LD (ME!)

Most Importantly…

There is something you should know- YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.

To the dismay of many there is no ‘right’ method or perfect plan. And if you have several children, then you have several personalities and preferences to juggle. But, there are some clever strategies to help kids eat more veggies.

It is also important to note that the more that we, the parents, model an intentional but enjoyable approach to eating a wide variety of nourishing foods, the more it becomes ‘normal.’

In our house we talk about respectful ways to decline foods and don’t allow a child to say ‘I don’t like it’ if they haven’t tried it. This can certainly reduce some of the conversations that escalate into arguments or tantrums.

Now go have some fun with you kids! Take a trip to the farm, whisk up some zucchini muffins or play ‘can you name the vegetable?’ game. There is fun waiting to happen and veggies that will, eventually, be eaten!