Fruit and Vegetables in Children's Diet

Every mom remembers the time of first solid foods. It starts slowly with vegetable purees, later fruit is added, and for children, it's actually very natural. They perceive pure flavors without salt and added sugar. At a later age, when children taste more industrially processed foods, a problem may arise in that they will refuse fruit or rather vegetables. This, of course, does not apply to all children; each is unique and has different tastes. Also, not every child will eat all types of vegetables.

PLACEHOLDER (DIFFERENT PHOTO) Mother of two girls, food blogger and photographer. Katka from the blog milluji.cz focuses in her recipes on balanced recipes and a healthy lifestyle. She is a proponent of quality and simple recipes that every busy parent can manage in the kitchen.

For example, my daughter doesn't eat any salad. By that, I mean nothing with leaves :). On the other hand, she loves tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. She probably wouldn't eat beetroot or broccoli just like that, which is why I'm constantly coming up with and looking for recipes on how to incorporate these types of vegetables into meals, so that either my daughter doesn't notice, or she likes it so much that she eats it.

A big advantage and sometimes a disadvantage (because one has to season it) is that in most cases, vegetables don't have such a strong flavor. Therefore, it's not a problem to add them in the form of a puree or grated into baking dough, creamy sauces, soups, or patties. And that's exactly the trick I most often use for the types of vegetables my daughter doesn't particularly like. However, before I move on to the recipes, I'd like to share my general tips on how to get children to eat fruits and vegetables.

Lead by example

If I want my children to do something, I know I have to lead by example. I love lighter cooking, and fruit and vegetables are never missing from our home. We have a plate of vegetables with every savory meal, and the whole family eats them. Always place fruit or vegetables either on the children's plate or on the common table. Let the child choose for themselves which type appeals to them most, both in appearance and taste, and conversely, do not force them to eat pieces they don't like. They might try it themselves over time. For example, my daughter didn't eat kohlrabi. After a while, I added a piece of kohlrabi to her snack, and she ate it in no time. Children's tastes simply develop and mature. However, definitely don't give up if a child refuses fresh fruit or vegetables once, twice, or several times, and persevere. But don't force them.

Add grated zucchini, carrots, or parsley root wherever you can

Grated zucchini, carrots, and parsley are great for meat mixtures, but also for pasta sauces or creamy soups, keep that in mind. J Moreover, if you add a good base of root vegetables to the sauce, it will always be tastier, and after blending, you won't have to thicken it with flour.