GreenCravers.com

It IS possible for kids to crave veggies!

by Diana

“My child doesn’t eat veggies. My child stopped eating vegetables at 18 months. No matter what I do I can’t get my child to eat his/her veggies.”

Does this sound familiar to you? Do you hear yourself when you read these words? Do you battle with this every single day?  Does your child ever eat those very important dark green leafy vegetables?

What if I told you I found the answer to these important questions?  Well, I have and I’m sharing them with everyone because I care about your family’s health.  But my answer is only for those of you who are ready to step up and be bold.  In the end, our kids’ poor eating habits are based mostly on our own. Can we break the bad and begin forming better habits?  Yes we can.  I’ll guide you through the steps but you must be willing to make the change. Here we go….

First, please note that when I say vegetables moving forward I’m referring to dark green leafy vegetables.  I’m NOT talking about broccoli and green beans.  Big difference in terms of vitamin intake and absorption.

Start introducing a cup of green smoothies to your child’s diet. What is a green smoothie?  A classic green smoothie is a blend of dark green vegetables like spinach, kale, parsley… and (here’s the best part) any of your child’s favorite fruits. The best proportion is 60% fruits and 40% dark green vegetables.

What do you need?

You need a blender, fruit, dark green vegetables and 10 minutes of your time.

If your child does not consume any dark green veggies at the moment make it easier for him/her by mixing 90% fruit and 10% dark green veggies the first day. Increase  the percentage of the dark greens by 5% during the following days till you reach the right proportion.

Make it fun. You know your child best. Ask yourself questions — regarding your child’s likes and dislikes.  Incorporate the answers in creating your new habit.

Please, do not be lazy. Don’t tell me that there’s too much time involved to prepare a green smoothie and wash the blender. It takes 10 minutes all together. Our children are worth 10 minutes of our time no matter what we do.  Right?

How much dark green leafy vegetables  does my child need?

Honestly, I haven’t seen any “food pyramid” that shows the amount that is truly necessary. The best rule of thumb is 2, 8 oz. glasses per day. Some days your child won’t take any especially in the beginning of creating his/her new habit.  Yet this is OK — do not get crazy.  Children are just like adults we all have different moods on different days.