Little Zoies Steps

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Every parent concerned about their child’s health deals with one major cooking issue: Getting them to eat their vegetables. When a child sees the bright green spinach or vibrant orange from a carrot, they cringe in disgust. Instead of trying to shove veggies down the child’s throat, some parents have opted to sneak in a few veggies into meals, packing sweet potatoes into macaroni and cheese or stuffing meatballs with spinach.
Small alternatives can get kids those healthy vegetables you want them to ingest. For parents who want a more traditional approach, giving children a small cup of veggies with fruits can pack the one-two-punch parents want:

• Broccoli – Packed with fiber, and vitamins A and D, broccoli serves up a delectable treat that can mix well with mashed potatoes or a side of chicken and beef. Children who lack vitamin D because of not drinking enough milk can get their daily requirement with broccoli. Loaded with fiber, broccoli is considered one of the best vegetables for helping the digestive system. Parents concerned about the early childhood development of their son or daughter’s poor digestive system can pack in some broccoli into a diet to sort out any issues.
• Celery – Along with carrots and tomatoes, celery is considered a household vegetable, meaning most individuals tend to pick up this vegetable while at the supermarket. Reason being is that celery’s crunchy texture and rich flavor make it the perfect companion for most recipes. Packed with vitamin C, it’s no surprise this veggie makes its way to the top of the list as the healthiest vegetables around.
  With its ability to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol, children will find this vegetable a tasty treat to eat as a snack or with a meal. Just try to not stuff this veggie with peanut butter or smother it in ranch or blue cheese dressing.
• Asparagus – Aside from its disease fighting ability, asparagus also has been known to help with the digestive system, packing in a load of protein and fiber into your kids’ diet. You may want to chop up this veggie, sneak it into some foods or mix together with a salad to get your kids to eat it. If you’re a student pursing a culinary degree, try mixing and matching different foods to sneak in this healthy veggie to create new dishes.
  Known for its bevy of vitamins packed into every bite, asparagus helps regulate blood sugar and fight heart disease. With diabetes on the rise, more children are becoming insulin-deficient. Asparagus has been known to be rich in insulin, packing in a healthy dose of the nutrient.

Sources

the world’s healthiest foods (2012)

The Sneaky Chef (2010)