How can you include more vegetables in meals for the little ones?

Vegetables are essential foods for a healthy and balanced diet at any stage of our lives. In the case of children, moreover, it is considered that vegetables should be the main source of their diet to help them in their development.

Moreover, it is good that they get used to it from a very young age and have this habit as part of their diet. We already know the immense benefits they have both in terms of improving our health and preventing illnesses.

However, just as we know that it is important for children to eat vegetables, and we would like to add the importance of fruit in their diet, we also know that it is often difficult to achieve this.

Whether it's the way they look, smell or feel, the truth is that, in every household, it's often a small battle to get our children to eat vegetables.

Here are the best tips we have compiled for integrating vegetables into your diet.

We assure you that we are the first to put them to the test!

How to get your children to eat vegetables in the best possible way

To begin with, it is important to understand that the best way to get our children to eat vegetables is by setting an example. Let's do it as adults and remember that patience is also fundamental. It is not good to force or oblige them, it is better to take a new step forward every day.

That said, here are some tips:

• Integrate vegetables into your favourite dishesPizza, pasta or hamburgers are usually some of children's favourite dishes. It is always a good idea to include some vegetables in these dishes to make it easier for them to eat them.

An alternative is to "camouflage" these vegetables on the plates in very small pieces so that they do not realise that they are eating the vegetables.

• Creativity in the presentation of dishes: For many children, almost everything is fun, even when it comes to lunch or dinner. A fun presentation of vegetable dishes is sure to make them more appealing to the eye and more willing to eat the food in question.
• Play with the colours of the vegetables: If there is one thing that vegetables in general stand out for, it is their wide variety of bright colours. Often the colours attract their attention and make them more appetising. Whether on the plate itself or visible when they open the fridge, if we can make the vegetables catch their attention, we have already won a lot.
• Cooked or raw vegetables? It is true that some vegetables, when cooked, give off an odour that can be very strong or unpleasant for children. The same goes for their texture. Try having them eat the vegetables raw, even with a sauce. They will find them much crunchier as well as more palatable.
• Let them decide: Once we see that they are getting into the habit of eating vegetables as something normal, let them decide which vegetables they want to eat for lunch or dinner. They will surely be excited and will eat them with much more enthusiasm!
• Purees as a great alternative: Mashed potatoes are something that many children like, and we are not just talking about potato purée. Moreover, it is something they are familiar with from an early age. Without a doubt, they allow us to include a wide variety of vegetables and achieve flavours that they will love, and even disguise those vegetables that they seem to like less without them realising it.

Seasonal vegetables, an even healthier and more sustainable option

The consumption of seasonal vegetables, as well as fruit, has important benefits for our health. The products are in their optimum state of consumption and, therefore, at the moment when they will provide us with the most nutrients and vitamins.

Depending on the season of the year, we will be able to find an infinite number of types and varieties of vegetables in our shops and supermarkets.

In addition, by consuming seasonal products, we also contribute to the sustainability and balance of the food chain by reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions generated by transport.