How To Get Your Toddler To Eat Vegetables

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Are you trying to find a way to get more veggies into your toddler’s (or kid’s) diet?  I’ve listed some ways on how to get your toddler to eat (and like) vegetables.

These are ideas that work well for us.  My boys are 2 now and don’t really resist vegetables at all (I’m sure that might change).  Do you need ways on how to get your toddler to eat vegetables?  You should read the list and see if these ideas would work for you!

By feeding them a healthy, and balanced diet now, I’m setting them up for success when they get older.  Plus vegetables are packed with nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants that keep our body healthy and functioning properly.

Vegetables are the one thing I make sure my boys eat enough of.  These ideas have worked well for us and our twins.

This is how I get my twin toddlers who are 27-months-old (and 10-year-old) to eat their vegetables (and like them too!).

Related: Quick and Healthy Toddler Snacks

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Tip #1 Always offer Vegetables with Meals – even if they don’t seem interested

• Exposure to vegetables is something I started early on with my toddlers.  Even if they don’t eat the vegetable being exposed to it is so important!  
• It may take several tries of putting it on their plate before they try it.
• I usually offer vegetables with every lunch and dinner and snacks, too.  My breakfast smoothies and muffins usually have veggies as well.
• Always offer a safe food (a food you know they will eat) with the vegetable.

Tip #2  Eat vegetables yourself with meals and make sure they can see you eating them (sit and eat with them)

•  Let them know vegetables are a normal thing to eat with meals.  Usually, they want to eat off my plate anyway and eat what I’m having.

3. Don’t make a big deal out of them eating or not eating their vegetables – if they don’t eat vegetables for a day I don’t sweat it

• If they won’t eat them with their meals I sometimes add veggies into smoothies, muffins, popsicles, or give a yummy squeeze pouch with fruit and veggies.

Tip #4  Offer a yummy squeeze pouch that has vegetables

• These are good for on-the go when you are out and about and didn’t bring a packed lunch with vegetables.
• Squeeze pouches sometimes hide the veggies when they have fruit in them, too.

Tip #5 Make smoothies with vegetables and homemade popsicles

• You can add in stuff they might not normally eat otherwise like spinach and kale.
• I never load my smoothies with tons of vegetables that they normally wouldn’t eat in a serving.  But it is a good way to get a serving or 2 of vegetables in!  Plus they will be able to absorb the nutrients better since it’s blended up!  I use this blender for all of my smoothies.

Tip #6 Make vegetables they like often

• My twins went through a stage where they would eat green beans by the handful.  I would cook them at least 3-4 times a week.  Now they are really into steamed broccoli and cooked carrots.  We make these at least 2-3 times a week.

Tip #7 Offer new vegetables to add variety to their palate

• It can take several times to like a certain food after you try it.  You never know what they will like until they try it!
• Try a soup such as butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli cheddar (there’s a lot of good soup puree recipes out there!).
• Or try making a small salad with a few different veggies in it.  I like to use stainless steel bowls for their soups or these ones.

Tip #8 Serve vegetables in a fun or new way

• Cut veggies like cucumbers into fun shapes with a shape cutter
• Make a pureed soup with the vegetable or in a smoothie if they won’t eat it in it’s whole form

Tip #9 Get kids involved in making meals

• Have them help add in vegetables to a meal or recipe.  My boys like to add spinach to these muffin Dutch Babies.
• Toddlers can help easily put the vegetables into a meal and help stir a recipe.  
• Or have them help set the table – I’ve noticed just getting them involved makes them more likey to try meals!

Related: Quick and Healthy Toddler Breakfast

I hope this list has given you some new ideas to try to get your toddler to eat their vegetables.  Remember, every day is different.  Some days my boys want to eat tons of vegetables, and sometimes they want to eat just a little.  The key here is finding a balance.  They need to be eating a variety of other things as well to have a well-rounded diet, which includes lots of good fats, proteins, fruit, and whole grains.  Here’s a nutrition guide for toddlers.  If you have any concerns about your child’s diet always speak to your pediatrician about it.

I think the thing that has helped me the most with my kids eating vegetables is offering them (and fruit) often and with almost every meal they eat.

My trick to cooking vegetables fast that are nutritious  – is buying frozen (organic) vegetables.  75% of the veggies I cook are frozen.  I steam them – takes 10 mins or less and there is zero prep – chopping, etc.

I love fresh veggies, especially from the farmers market, but realistically I don’t think we would eat veggies as often if all I used was fresh.  Less goes to waste with frozen because I can just use what we need.  Plus frozen veggies are picked at their prime so they are loaded with high amounts of nutrition.

My toddlers go through their phases – even my 9-year-old does of how much vegetables they eat.  The important thing is to be consistent and always offer it.  I think their body knows what it needs.  The less sugar they have, the less their body will crave sugar.  When they eat vegetables on a daily basis they are used to the taste and like it!

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