Introduce your family to a wider variety of veggies

From our friends at Nutrilite this article has some good ideas to help you get your kids to eat more veggies.  

Something to keep in mind: kids eat what they see their parents eat! If you and your spouse love veggies, your kids will love veggies.  My kids love to eat veggies because we eat veggies and salads on a regular basis for meals and snacks, and we have done it since they were little.  

Enjoy the article!

Dr. Vance DC

Introduce your family to a wider variety of veggies

While most kids can’t resist sinking their teeth into a big, juicy wedge of watermelon, or most fruits for that matter, convincing them to try seasonal vegetables poses a bit more of a challenge. Here are three fun, easy ways to introduce more produce into their diets to make sure your whole family is getting the balanced nutrition they need.

• Spinach their smoothie. Whip up a batch of creamy smoothies using a mix of dark berries such as blueberries, boysenberries, and raspberries. The darker colors will mask your smoothie’s secret: spinach. The berries serve up lots of antioxidants, while the spinach contains lutein, which is good for eye health. You can experiment with different options, but here’s a really simple one-serving recipe. Just blend all ingredients together until smooth:
• ½tsp. vanilla extract
• 1½cups frozen berries (the darker the better!)
• 1cup plain or natural vanilla yogurt
• ½cup spinach
• Sweet fries, mom! It’s a no-brainer that kids love French fries, but switching to fries made from sweet potatoes gives them more beta-carotene, a phytonutrient that supports a healthy immune system and is important to healthy growth and development. Preheat the oven to 425°. Wash and peel sweet potatoes, then thinly slice your fries. (Thinner slices will be crispier.) Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with a little salt and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fries over and bake for another 10 minutes. Fries should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Allow to cool, serve, and enjoy!
• Fun, skewered. If you’re grilling out, have your kids lend a hand in the preparation. Many times, if kids are allowed to help with the preparation of a meal, they’re more likely to enjoy eating it. Set out plates of assorted cut-up veggies and fruits that are good for grilling – any color pepper, cherry tomatoes, red or white onions, pineapple chunks, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash – really, whatever you have on hand that will make for a fun, colorful assortment. Let kids arrange their choice of produce on wooden skewers, then help them drizzle on a little low-fat Italian dressing for taste. Cook on a pre-heated grill for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender.

Other kid-friendly ways to sneak in more veggies include serving baby carrots with hummus (made with garbanzo beans), adding kale or Swiss chard to soups or chili recipes, and just simply having fresh veggies such as celery, cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes washed and prepped – and ready for little hands to grab – waiting in the refrigerator.

Make these small changes to your family’s eating habits for big health benefits. If you still find that as a family you’re not eating as well as you should, or if you just want peace of mind that your family’s nutritional health is covered, here are some easy supplements you can add to your routine to get the healthy benefits of fruits and veggies, plus omega-3 fatty acids from fish.  

To make sure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need:
Kids: Try NUTRILITE^® Kids MULTITARTS^® Chewable Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement.
Adults: Try NUTRILITE DOUBLE X^®Vitamin/Mineral/Phytonutrient Supplement.  

To get the brain supporting and overall healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids:
Kids: Try NUTRILITE BRAINIUMS DHA^® Gummy Supplement.
Adults: Try NUTRILITE OCEAN ESSENTIALS^® Balanced Health.

To boost immunity with extra vitamin C:
Kids: Try NUTRILITE Kids Chewable C.
Adults: Try NUTRILITE Vitamin C Plus Extended Release.

To increase overall antioxidant intake:
The whole family will enjoy NUTRILITE Antioxidant Juices.