The hardest foods to get my kids to eat are vegetables!
Over the years I have had to find creative ways to get my children to eat their veggies. I have cooked them into foods, added them on the side, and even tried slathering them in some type of sauce or dressing. I found the best way to get them to eat their veggies, is to be honest with them.
Both of my kids at one point hated anything orange, but now my daughter will eat carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes!
If you're looking for lunch ideas for your kids, I incorporate some of these ideas into my Well-Balanced & Kid-Approved School Lunch Ideas post.
If you’re looking for some new ideas to introduce to your children, check out these 20 Fun Ways to Eat Veggies for Kids!
1. Sweet Potato Fries
This is one of my favorite veggies! You can purchase bags of frozen sweet potato fries, or you can make them yourself.
Just slice up your sweet potatoes, lay them on a cookie sheet, and bake them in the oven. I love to season mine with paprika, but you can get creative. You can also pop them in your air fryer. There are so many ways to make them healthier.
2. Broccoli Tots
I came across a bag of Broccoli Tots in the freezer section of my local grocery store and I had to try them. While I’m not entirely sold, they get my children eating broccoli.
They may not be a healthy option, but they were a good veggie option when my kids refused to eat anything else.
3. Canned Carrots
I personally prefer fresh vegetables, but my daughter will only eat canned carrots. They are much softer than fresh carrots and taste so much better than frozen carrots.
You can select a low sodium option and I always drain the liquid. If you need more flavor for your child, you could add a little butter or include a dip.
4. Green Beans with Breadcrumbs
Growing up, my parents struggled getting me to eat plain veggies, so they had to get creative. There was always a container of Italian breadcrumbs in the pantry in my parent’s house so they would sprinkle some breadcrumbs on my veggies.
My mom still does it when I come to visit! My kids now enjoy green beans and breadcrumbs at Grammy’s house.
5. Fried Zucchini
Another childhood veggie I have introduced to my children. My mom has always had her own garden and she loves growing a variety of veggies. In the summer, I’m always going home with zucchini and squash.
Fried zucchini can be made healthier and without oil. You just cut the zucchini into slices, dip it in egg, dip it in Italian breadcrumbs, and put it on a baking sheet. Then you just bake it in the oven. It is not as healthy as eating it plain, but it makes a great side dish to any meal.
6. Zucchini Boats
If your child will eat food in cool shapes, you could try zucchini boats. You can fill the boat will anything your child likes. I add ground beef, rice, and cheese.
To make zucchini boats, slice your zucchini in half long ways to make 2 thin slices. I precook the stuffing and boil my zucchini ahead of time to soften them. Core out your zucchini and stuff with a filling of your choice. You can then bake them in the oven for a few mins. Your child will get to enjoy eating their boats.
7. Raw Green Peppers Dipped in Ranch
Not all kids will eat raw veggies, but green peppers are very sweet and have a great flavor. You can introduce them with a dip, like ranch or veggie dip, and your child may try it.
Peppers are very colorful and can be appealing to children. If they don’t want green peppers, you could try introducing yellow or red peppers as well.
8. Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken
A delicious meal I like to make for my family is Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken. I open a piece of raw chicken and stuff it with fresh spinach leaves and cheese. You can season the chicken anyway you like and add potatoes or other veggies to the pan. Then you bake the chicken in the oven.
My children love chicken and will eat it so many ways. Fresh spinach has such a great flavor and adds to chicken. Any cheese will work as well.
9. Mashed Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a seasonal vegetable in our area and my mom gives me so many from her garden, that I can find a ton of recipes to make using them.
One of my favorite ways to cook butternut squash is by cooking it in water until it’s soft and mashing it. You can eat it plain, with a little butter, or by adding cinnamon and brown sugar.
10. Snap Peas
Snap peas are a hit or miss veggie, but if your child likes to snack, you can hand them these to eat. If we’re being honest, most kids like to snack.
Many children will sit and eat snap peas like chips. You could offer a dip to go with them, but you don’t really need it.
11. Sweet Potato Chips
Speaking of chips, sweet potato chips are a great side to add to any meal. My kids love chips, but I try not to buy them often.
I have found an easy way to make sweet potato chips in the oven and you can season them any way you like. You slice up your sweet potatoes very thin, season then with olive oil and seasoning, and bake in the oven. You could try air frying them as well.
12. Pasta Salad
Over the summer, I made a pasta salad for a family picnic we went to. My kids loved it and I have been making it to eat at home now too.
You can add anything you would like to a pasta salad. I try to add a protein, carb, dairy, veggie, and fruit every time I make it and I toss it in Italian dressing. My favorite veggie to add is sliced cherry tomatoes.
13. Zucchini Lasagna
If you want to switch up your lasagna and make it without meat, you could try swapping it out for zucchini. There are so many ways you could make zucchini lasagna.
If you want to still include meat, you can add shredded zucchini into the sauce. Either way, it’s a great way to add a vegetable into a popular pasta dish.
14. Stuffed Peppers
If your children don’t want to eat peppers raw, you could try stuffing them. Stuffed peppers become so soft and easy to eat if you precook them in water or boil them.
You can stuff your peppers with ground beef, sausage, rice, sauce, mushrooms, or anything you like. I like to top my peppers with shredded cheese and bake them in the oven to melt the cheese.
15. Cauliflower Rice
I was first introduced to Cauliflower Rice when my husband used it to make a pizza crust. It was really good, but there is a science to it, so the crust doesn’t get soggy. If you can perfect the crust, it does make a great pizza crust for your children to enjoy.
I started cooking cauliflower rice like regular rice and adding butter to it. My daughter does not like regular rice, but she will eat cauliflower rice. You can even use it as a substitution in many rice dishes.
16. Spinach Muffins
Raw spinach can be cooked into many foods or even blended up into smoothies. If your children like muffins, you can find many recipes to add spinach to.
Some great spinach muffin pairings are bananas and chocolate. The muffins will most likely turn green when making them, which is great for my kids who insist on making green eggs like Green Eggs and Ham.
17. Zucchini Bread
Just like muffins, breads are a great place to add veggies. I have a delicious zucchini bread recipe that I can’t keep on my counter long enough!
My family also loves my banana bread recipe. You can add nuts, chocolate chips, or leave it plain.
18. Tacos with Lettuce & Tomatoes
Taco Tuesday doesn’t just have to be on Tuesday. My family loves tacos! My kids don’t necessarily like the taco shell, but they live the filling.
You can add all sorts of delicious veggies to tacos, but the most common is lettuce and tomatoes. You could even make a rice bowl with everything on a plate for your kid if they don’t want the taco shell. Take it a step further and swap out the rice for cauliflower rice.
19. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This is like the mashed butternut squash. Boil or cook your sweet potatoes however you would like to soften them and then mash them up.
Sweet potatoes are of course sweeter than regular potatoes. Many kids love the taste of sweet potatoes. You could leave them plain or add butter and brown sugar. I don’t think you really need to add anything though.
20. Veggie Applesauce Pouches
When all else fails, grab some veggie applesauce pouches. My kids love to snack on veggie applesauce pouches because they love applesauce.
There’s a pretty good variety of flavors to choose from or you could make some yourself!
There you have it! Some fun ways to introduce your kids to veggies!
They may not try them all, but if you keep introducing vegetables in different ways, your kids will find some they like!
What are some ways you have introduced veggies to your kids?
Comment below!
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