Here’s a green-themed flash from the past, originally posted on October 19, 2018. It reminds me that my son has gone through somewhat of a transition into eating the raw green leafys with less fuss. I don’t know if he’s less resistant because he’s now a year older or if he’s finally come to terms with the fact that Mom will not relent when it comes to serving his vitamins and minerals the no-frills, all-natural way.
Basically, I’m admitting that I’ve veered away from the green drink action more so, although I love them and think they’re an awesome way to get your healthy intake of the good stuff. Over time, I’ve decided to go more hardcore with the greenery given straight as garnishes, as a side dish, or in salad form. I can’t say that Little Man really likes his veggies this way, but he’s growing into the idea that Mom’s not going to let him go veggieless, so he might as well take it like a little man. Check out some of the slick methods that I formerly used to get my youngest child to eat his vegetables just a fraction over a year ago.
Routinely incorporating vegetables into your child’s diet is an admirable feat. After all, veggies are rich in the vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that your child’s growing body desperately needs. So, what’s not to love? Well, for the average 8-year old, the answer is quite simply THE TASTE! And my response to that is… if I prepare something for you to eat (veggies or not), I expect you to clean that plate! But realistically speaking, I understand that everybody’s taste palates are different and I have my own set of healthy undesirables that I consistently avoid. I also have experienced taste bud changes over time. The kind that either involved: 1) the excessive consumption of a beloved food or food combination until it was played out and I never wanted to taste it again for the rest of my life (a.k.a., peanut butter and jelly sandwich) or 2) the development of an acquired taste in my adult years (a.k.a., dill pickles). So, my hope is that Little Man will outgrow his disdain for veggies, especially those of the leafy variety.
Since I’m empathetic to my son and can relate to the predicament he’s in when it comes to veggie intake, I’ve decided to bypass the “spare the rod, spoil the child” disciplinary route in this instance. After all, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. (I’m trying to see how many old sayings I can throw into one blog post:)). Seriously though, I’ve adopted the “sneak them in” philosophy to help Little Man in his quest for vegetable acceptance. And I don’t mean “sneak them in” as in Little Man has no idea I’m getting vegetables into his meals (he’s 8 years old, not 8 months old). I mean “sneak them in” as in I’ve learned simplistic yet ingenious ways to integrate vegetables with other drinks and foods to make them pleasant enough for Little Man to consume. My top 3 successful methods for getting raw vegetables into my youngster’s system are as follows: 1) loading up on green drinks, 2) sauteing seasoned vegetables on the stove top, and 3) making tasty veggie burgers. In hopes of providing a little inspiration to those of you going through the same challenge, I’ve included a helpful PDF that provides details of all three methods. Check out my Sneaky Methods for Veggie Intake.
To assist me in my mission to balance out the food groups in my household, I have two Nutri Ninja® products (the Nutri Ninja® 2-in-1 and the Nutri Ninja® Professional) sitting on my kitchen counter 24-7 because of the frequency in which I tend to make green drinks for multiple individuals in my family. There was a time when I consistently used the Nutri Ninja® personal blenders five days out of the week to make green drinks for myself and my two sons as a quick breakfast drink before heading off to school. I tended to use the Professional blender for this early morning ritual because it had enough volume to blend up the liquidy goodness for all three of us. Because of its durability, dependability, and ease of use, the Nutri Ninja® has made it down right enjoyable to blend up healthy drinks for my family. Talk about a tried-and-true friend. And I particularly appreciate the versatility of the 2-in-1 because it comes with a 40-ounce processor bowl and special blade attachments that easily transform the personal blender into a food processor (secret code for an excellent hand-saving apparatus). See my previous post Teaching Hand-Saving Techniques for other food preparation shortcuts. And, not only is my 2-in-1 used for making the green drinks, but it effortlessly serves in preparing delicious veggie patties as well. Don’t forgot to look at the PDF for details.
Guess what? You just witnessed a Kitchen Countertop Confession. There’s more where that came from, so I’ll be sharing some of my culinary companions that, once they entered my home and found their places on my kitchen countertops, I quickly realized I could never live without them. Stay tuned…
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