For the first couple years, they did. I was that smug mom who bragged about how her boys devoured beets. But then they started preschool, and discovered the wonderful world of crackers and granola bars. Suddenly they wanted nothing to do with any vegetable that wasn’t a potato. I can still get them to squeeze a pouch of fruit down now and then, but trying to get them to eat vegetables? Forget it. So, I decided to do what parents have been doing since Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy were invented — I got sneaky. Rather than plead with them to try bites of corn or carrots at the dinner table every night, I spent a week sneaking veggies into their food to see if stealth health for littles is possible. Here’s what happened. More from CafeMom: Dad Petitions to Change the School’s Mascot Because It Sounds Like the Word ‘Penis’ The worst part was after all that work, the boys weren’t crazy about these. After a couple bites, they declared themselves full and ran off to play. Clearly my veggie game is too direct. Must be sneakier. I don’t know if it’s that my boys usually don’t eat tater tots at all, so the novelty alone was enough to make them fall in love, or if these cauliflower nuggets really are that good, but either way they cleared their plates and asked for seconds. While it’s not the green leafy veggie I was hoping to add to their diet, I’m still calling this one a win. “What is that Mommy?” he asked, as I frantically tried to shove the bag behind my back. I assumed if he saw the veggies the jig would be up, so I told him, “Nothing, it’s nothing,” as I tried to shoo him out of the kitchen. “Is that broccoli?” he asked. I winced. Then, as I was trying to think of some elaborate lie about how I needed the broccoli but only for Mommy and Daddy’s part of the meal, he completely shocked me. “Can I try some broccoli for dinner?” he asked. “This broccoli? The green ones?” I showed him the bag. “Yes,” he said. “With cheese sauce like you make for Daddy. So I can get tall and go on roller coasters.” And then he danced out of the kitchen. Sure enough, he ate an entire serving of broccoli smothered in cheese sauce that night, and his brother even tried a bite. It was a good lesson for me that while I’m happy to know sneaking veggies into my kids’ meals is totally doable, it’s important to also keep offering them green foods the old fashioned way too. Because they just might surprise you.
title: “I Tried Sneaking Veggies Into My Kids Meals For A Week” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-10” author: “Jo Reyes”
For the first couple years, they did. I was that smug mom who bragged about how her boys devoured beets. But then they started preschool, and discovered the wonderful world of crackers and granola bars. Suddenly they wanted nothing to do with any vegetable that wasn’t a potato. I can still get them to squeeze a pouch of fruit down now and then, but trying to get them to eat vegetables? Forget it. So, I decided to do what parents have been doing since Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy were invented — I got sneaky. Rather than plead with them to try bites of corn or carrots at the dinner table every night, I spent a week sneaking veggies into their food to see if stealth health for littles is possible. Here’s what happened. More from CafeMom: Dad Petitions to Change the School’s Mascot Because It Sounds Like the Word ‘Penis’ The worst part was after all that work, the boys weren’t crazy about these. After a couple bites, they declared themselves full and ran off to play. Clearly my veggie game is too direct. Must be sneakier. I don’t know if it’s that my boys usually don’t eat tater tots at all, so the novelty alone was enough to make them fall in love, or if these cauliflower nuggets really are that good, but either way they cleared their plates and asked for seconds. While it’s not the green leafy veggie I was hoping to add to their diet, I’m still calling this one a win. “What is that Mommy?” he asked, as I frantically tried to shove the bag behind my back. I assumed if he saw the veggies the jig would be up, so I told him, “Nothing, it’s nothing,” as I tried to shoo him out of the kitchen. “Is that broccoli?” he asked. I winced. Then, as I was trying to think of some elaborate lie about how I needed the broccoli but only for Mommy and Daddy’s part of the meal, he completely shocked me. “Can I try some broccoli for dinner?” he asked. “This broccoli? The green ones?” I showed him the bag. “Yes,” he said. “With cheese sauce like you make for Daddy. So I can get tall and go on roller coasters.” And then he danced out of the kitchen. Sure enough, he ate an entire serving of broccoli smothered in cheese sauce that night, and his brother even tried a bite. It was a good lesson for me that while I’m happy to know sneaking veggies into my kids’ meals is totally doable, it’s important to also keep offering them green foods the old fashioned way too. Because they just might surprise you.
