I OFTEN get asked by parents how to make children eat more vegetables. Filling up their plates with grains and protein is not a problem but when it comes to vegetables, children absolutely hate them.
Not getting enough vegetables can lead to children missing out on important nutrients such as vitamins A and C, dietary fibre and natural antioxidants like caretonoids, flavonoids and phenolic acids.
My daughter, now 14, was not keen on eating vegetables when she was younger.
The key, I've learnt, is constant encouragement — not nagging. She does not dislike vegetables as much now. So I can vouch that consistent encouragement from a young age works.
Exposing them to a variety of delicious dishes with vegetables is your best strategy. I find that cooking finely-cut vegetables with food that your child already likes — such as cheese, eggs or meat — makes them want to try it.
Here are some simple recipes you can try. Hopefully, these dishes will cajole your child's tastebuds towards enjoying vegetables.
VEGGIE CHEESE MUFFINS
Makes 4
Ingredients:
3 eggs
200g ricotta cheese
1 cup finely diced sweet potato
1 cup finely diced green zucchini
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 small red onion, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and lightly grease a muffin tray.
2. Heat olive or canola oil in a non-stick pan and saute onions and garlic until fragrant.
3. Stir-fry sweet potato and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add green zucchini and cook for another three minutes until all the vegetables are cooked. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
5. In a mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the ricotta cheese until smooth. Add eggs and mix well.
6. Add cooked vegetable mixture to the cheese-egg mixture.
7. Season with salt, pepper and dried basil.
8. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups and put in sliced cherry tomatoes.
9. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden.
WHOLEGRAIN SALMON FRIED RICE
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups leftover brown or multigrain rice
120g salmon fillets, cut into small cubes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 white button mushrooms, remove stems and slice thinly
1/2 cup red capsicum, cored and cut into small cubes
1/2 cup green peas
2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp turmeric
3 tsp olive oil for sauteing
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Marinade the salmon with paprika and turmeric powder with a dash of salt. Mix well and set aside for five minutes.
2. In a non-stick pan, gently heat one teaspoon olive oil and add salmon and cook until light pink. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat two teaspoons olive oil and saute chopped onions and minced garlic for about three minutes until translucent.
4. Add mushroom and green peas. Stir well for another three minutes until tender.
5. Add capsicum and rice. Season with paprika and salt.
6. Stir in salmon with all the ingredients. Stir well. Adjust the seasoning to taste if needed.
CARROT CREAM CHEESE DIP
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
1 block Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk, chilled
1 carrot, finely shredded
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Method:
1. Stir in all ingredients into the softened cream cheese and mix well.
2. Serve it as a dip with crackers or cucumber sticks.
Tip: You can use this dip as a sandwich filling.
BEEF OREGANO VEGETABLE SOUP
Serves 6
Ingredients:
500g minced lean beef or lamb
20g onions, chopped
100g green zucchini, finely diced
100g potatos, finely diced
100g carrots, peeled and finely diced
100g frozen corn kernel
4 cups water
2 beef stock cubes
1 can (411g) chopped diced tomatoes (if the tomatoes are large, chop them up to make them smaller)
1 tsp oregano leaves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pot.
2. Saute chopped onions till fragrant and translucent.
3. Add in minced beef and cook for five minutes till browned.
4. Stir in water, beef stock cubes, all the vegetables, undrained canned tomatoes, oregano and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
5. Once it's boiling, cover the pot with a lid and turn the flame to low and gently simmer for 30 minutes or till the vegetables are tender.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve with toasted wholegrain bread.
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