Tips to Help Your Children Eat More Vegetables in the Winter

During the summer, many vegetables are in season, abundant at farmer’s markets and less expensive in the grocery store. The motivation to eat vegetables may be higher in the summertime not only because of the lower prices, but because vegetables are a good source of water and can help prevent dehydration. On a hot summer day, salads and other water-rich vegetables such as carrots or cucumbers can actually taste refreshing. On a cold winter day, however, many people prefer hot comfort foods. No matter what time of year, it’s always important to make sure you and your children are eating enough vegetables (for specific daily recommendations for vegetables, visit www.choosemyplate.gov). Read on for tips to keep your child’s vegetable intake up when the temperature is down!

Breakfast:

It’s not as common to eat vegetables with breakfast, but adding sliced vegetables to a hot omelet or scrambled eggs is a simple and delicious way to do so! Serve your eggs with a slice of whole-wheat toast for extra fiber and whole grains.

• Add diced tomatoes to scrambled eggs
• Slice bell pepper rings, crack one egg into the center of each ring, and cook
• Add broccoli and a tablespoon of low-fat cheese to an omelet
• Serve a glass of 100% fruit and vegetable juice with your child’s breakfast
• Sneak in carrots or spinach to a fruit smoothie
• Stir canned pumpkin and cinnamon into oatmeal

Lunch:

• Add an extra serving of lettuce and tomatoes to your child’s sandwich
• If your child doesn’t have access to a microwave at school, send them to school with a thermos full of a vegetable-based soup such as minestrone, tomato, roasted red pepper, or chicken noodle with vegetables
• Serve a vegetable-filled dessert such as zucchini bread or pumpkin bread
• Sneak spinach into a brownie for dessert
• Serve kale chips instead of potato chips

Dinner:                         

• Use spaghetti squash in place of pasta
• Add peas to mac and cheese
• Top a pizza with vegetables such as broccoli, tomato slices, pepper slices, onions, and black olives
• Add diced carrots into a sloppy Joe mix
• Turn grilled cheese into a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. Serve with tomato for added vegetables!
• Serve sweet potato fries with a hamburger
• Add vegetables to marinara sauce such as diced spinach, onions, or garlic
• Serve a vegetable-rich chili with carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and kale
• Set out more vegetable options for taco night such as lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, spinach, corn, and chopped zucchini

Snacks:

• Bake slices of acorn squash
• Serve Pico de Gallo with whole-wheat crackers
• Roast cauliflower to eat instead of popcorn
• Serve tortilla chips with salsa. Add more vegetables to the salsa such as corn or diced peppers.
• Bake sweet potato and kale chips instead of serving regular potato chips
• Make an English muffin pizza and top with vegetables such as tomatoes and broccoli

For dishes where you can choose from a variety of vegetables, have your children help decide what to use. If it is safe, have your children help prepare the vegetable as well. Get the whole family involved and show them that eating vegetables is fun!