Kids do not understand the necessity of healthy foods and thus, they are just concerned about the look and taste of what they eat. The leafy green vegetables may appear to be necessary and even tasty but the kids will certainly not think or feel the same. Most kids have a basic aversion towards vegetables and it becomes extremely hard to make them eat even a mouthful of vegetables.
The majority of the mothers take the way of forcing their little ones to have green vegetables but the result is not always positive. Either the kids become more adamant in their choice of food or they simply throw up after eating. It is never good to force the kid to eat something as that will also result in improper digestion. Being a mother means multi-tasking (besides every other responsibility you have to be a wise and innovative cook !!!) and making the right as well as an attractive meal for your little one, is one of the most important tasks.
While talking about the general aversion of kids towards vegetables, we need to know the best and easy ways to disguise them in the dishes. Actually, it is the easiest and most effective method to follow. The dishes which are suitable for kids as well as liked by them are so adaptive that you can hide anything in them. Just take the example of beans and broccoli. You can easily conceal them with the help of mashed potato and garnish with some tasty sauce.
Another nice and healthy way is to let your kid make the choice of vegetable for himself. Do not give him many options (else he will be confused), but just make it clear that he must take one serving of vegetable for each main meal and he will have the right to choose it for himself. Ask him to choose between two vegetables only (to avoid him from getting confused) and this will make him feel honored (for making his own decision).
Another good way is to let your kid help you in preparing a vegetable dish. Experts say that when kids are involved in such activities, it is most likely that they will feel attracted towards that dish, no matter how much they dislike the ingredients.
As mentioned, the disguising technique is easy and less time consuming, here is one such lunch box recipe for kids that will help you to make a great dish for your fussy eater. This casserole dish is a perfect example of healthy food for kids and is made with broccoli (which most of the kids hate) but in such effective disguise that the kids will not be able to find them out as they will surely be busy with the cheesiness.
Healthy Food for Kids – Cheesy Delightful Casserole
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread
- 1/3 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Put the broccoli florets in the food processor and pulse to make broccoli rice (this will be same as making cauliflower rice). Put the broccoli rice in a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the bread slices into small pieces and put them with the broccoli rice. Now, add basil, pepper, salt, minced garlic, Swiss cheese and cheddar cheese and blend them thoroughly.
- Coat the casserole dish with olive oil and pour the entire mixture into the dish. Make the top layer with mozzarella cheese and then cook the casserole at 350 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes and then broil for 5 more minutes. The top cheese layer must be bubbly and light golden in color.
- Serve by slicing the casserole along with your kid’s favorite sauce.
