Amber Voller shares the 7 ways she boosts her toddler’s vegetable intake (without him noticing!)
As a baby, my son Harry loved mashed avocado, puréed peas and steamed broccoli. Now aged 3, he won’t eat anything green!
Children’s dietitian and feeding specialist Lucy Upton says this is normal.
‘It’s common to see children’s preference for vegetables drop in their toddler years. Veggies have varying tastes and textures, so children may opt for predictable-tasting foods such as pasta.
‘As parents we often put pressure on kids to eat vegetables, something they may pick up on. But it’s best to remain neutral about veggies and avoid “putting them on a pedestal” over other foods,’ she says.
To boost Harry’s nutrient intake without triggering a meltdown, I’ve tried all kinds of crafty tricks to sneak vegetables into his diet. But is this a bad idea?
Not according to Lucy. ‘There’s nothing wrong with disguising a few vegetables within meals.’
Read on for my tips to try on your own veggie-dodger!
Writer Amber Voller and her son Harry, 3
1. Hide veg in pasta sauce
A tried-and-tested tactic for dinnertime, I’ve been dicing, blending or grating vegetables like onions, aubergine or mushrooms, then mixing them into a tomato-based sauce for pasta, bolognese or cottage pie.
Crumbled cauliflower can also go unnoticed in macaroni cheese, giving it a nutritional boost without altering the taste too dramatically.
2. Slip veg into smoothies
Carrot, cucumber and kale make great add-ons to smoothies and juices. For fussy eaters, opt for spinach. It tastes of very little but packs a nutritional punch thanks to its vitamin C and iron content.
An “Incredible Hulk” green juice is a hit in my home, made by blending a handful of baby spinach with banana and pineapple.
If you’re pushed for time, check out Asda’s selection of ready-made smoothies instead.
3. Sneak veg into home-made snacks
I like making veggie muffins for a supercharged snack. The speediest recipe I’ve found? Whisk together 3 eggs and 180g of cottage cheese then add a sprinkling of tinned sweetcorn. Divide the mixture into a muffin tin and bake for 16 minutes at 200°C (fan 180°C, gas mark 6).
Lucy Upton has a savoury flapjack recipe that includes grated courgette, carrot and sweetcorn.
Pop Peppa Pig on the telly, cook up a batch in half an hour then freeze any extras for another day. They can be defrosted in just a few hours.
4. Make hidden veggie mash
My son loves mashed potato and – much to my delight – he doesn’t notice if I mix it with mashed root veg such as parsnip, butternut squash or swede. You can also try making root veg “chips” – cut them into chunky slices then pop in the air fryer or oven with a drizzle of oil.
5. Treat your tot to “picky bits”
If you’d rather not be sneaky with veg, consider a “picky plate” for your little one. I’ve discovered that when I serve up veggies alongside some of Harry’s favourite foods, he is more inclined to eat them.
The key here is giving him a variety of veggies in small portions. Winning combos for me include broccoli “trees”, mini sticks of celery and sliced olives alongside grated cheese, a few crisps and a couple of chocolate buttons.
Dish up the food on a colourful plate or in a lunchbox with compartments to make it even more appealing.
6. Try veggie dips and extra pizza toppings
Toddlers enjoy dipping raw veg into dips, but don’t limit it to carrots and houmous. How about fresh peppers and baby corn alongside tzatziki or guacamole?
Or get experimental with pizza toppings and fajita wraps. Think sweetcorn or strips of colourful cooked peppers amongst shredded chicken and plenty of cheese. Or make your own mini pizzas by halving an English muffin, lightly toasting it, then topping with passata, mozarella and cherry tomatoes before grilling.
7. Choose the easy option
And for those days when you can only summon the energy to bung something on a baking tray? Asda’s vegetarian frozen range is genius and includes cauliflower cheese melts, veggie fingers and bean-based burgers. They’re all pleasingly beige on the outside so your little one won’t realise they’re bursting with vegetable goodness.
Keep serving the veggies
The last word from dietitian Lucy: ‘While it’s fine to hide veg, just remember to serve them in other ways too, in order to build familiarity.
‘And don’t stop offering them – children’s palates change all the time!’
