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How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

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Many moms struggle with how to get your kids to eat vegetables. We want our families to be healthy and nutrition is a major aspect of health.

I like to think I’m a healthy eater, and consequently, that my family eats healthy too.  Lately though, in an effort to squeeze into my skinny jeans, I started keeping a food log and was shocked to find out I was barely meeting the prescribed 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day.  And I knew that if I was barely meeting the minimum requirement, the chances that my vegetable-reluctant kids were getting their share were pretty low.

a girl holding a tomato with more vegetables next to her on a wooden cutting board on a white table with title text reading How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

Have A Contest To Get Your Kids To Eat Vegetables

Coincidentally, about the same time I had this realization, my friend mentioned to me how funny her kids were responding to a vegetable-eating contest she had started between them.  They were gorging themselves on vegetables just to win the tally each day (tracked by a chart she kept on the fridge door).  Since my whole family is CRAZY competitive, I realized this was a windfall of an idea.

As usual, I looked all over the internet for an easy, printable (and cute!) chart that would suit my needs.  Below, are my favorites.  Remember, if your family doesn’t share my family’s strange compulsion to win at all costs, you might have to incorporate a reward system.  Suggestions:  winner gets to choose dessert after dinner, winner gets to be in charge of the remote control for 30 minutes, winner doesn’t have to help clean up after dinner.

Printable Charts To Help Your Kids Eat More Vegetables

5 A Day Chart– For tips on how to use the chart, along with several other great ideas on encouraging healthy eating habits in your children visit netmums.

printable 5-a-day-chart

Fruit & Veggie Eater Meter– This one is an entire system including shopping plan and rewards.  I originally saw it on peasandcrayons.com, who found it on foodchamps.org. Food Champs has lots of other fun activities and games to help kids get excited about eating fruits and vegetables.

fruit-and-veggie-eater-meter-veggie-tracker-printable-handout

If you’ve struggled with how to get your kids to eat vegetables, hopefully one of these charts will help.

Free Family Printables To Help With Your Daily Needs

For more printable charts to help with other parenting problems, check out these:

a printable daily routine for kids with a pen on it next to some vitamins on a brown table with title text reading Free Daily Routine Printable

Daily Routine Chart to Keep Kids on Task

weekly-discipline-system-for-kids-chart

Weekly Chart for a Super Simple Discipline System

Check out all of my free family printables.

free family printables will help you manage everything from birthday parties to camping trips

13 thoughts on “How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables”

  1. I can only wish my son would eat more fruits and veggies. His being autistic, I try so much! He loves corn, though

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  2. Awesome idea! It is really hard to appreciate vegetables because when I was growing up, my mama is a single mom (juggling from taking care of two kids and work) … and she always cook the easy recipe … frying which I love. Guilty!

    Reply
  3. I really like the idea of eating a rainbow. Next time my kids give me a hard time, I’ll ask if they’ve eaten their green for the day 🙂

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  4. My son is autistic and has never even taste a vegetable. I know there are some he would like if he would try them. I hope these tips will really help.

    Reply
  5. I will have to try some of these, my little one is good about eating most of his, my older one though I have to blend them and mix them into something so he does not realize they are there.

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  6. That’s a brilliant idea! I have to copy that technique because both of my kids are very competitive but they are picky when it comes to veggies!

    Reply
  7. My son will not eat them, I have to force them down. Fresh is the hardest to get him to eat. Sucks I wish he liked more and I didnt struggle and have to force him to eat!

    Reply
  8. good idea about the charts. I just printed out the 5 a day ones for my kids and realized they’re already 2 in because of their favorite Spinach/berry/ protein smoothie they love for breakfast. I will make it so they can’t have a bedtime snack unless they make their 5 for the day. Let’s see who cries first, I’m betting on my 15yr old!

    Reply

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