How I easily get my kids to eat more greens. Easily.
This post will obviously be followed by one titled, “How I {Easily} Get My Kids to Eat More Corndogs” since that is also a huge problem most mothers run into. Not to worry. I am here to help.
Man, what is up with kids and veggies? Maybe I’m in the minority, but even with our family putting great choices on the table for almost nine years now, I still see my kids going heavy on the other stuff and skimping on veggies and salads if at all possible. It’s not like they don’t like veggies and greens. I just think for some reason that the main dish is more appealing.
And then there was the night I actually bought corndogs. I know. Sick. But Malachi had earned the privilege of choosing any meal he wanted as a part of our summer reading challenge. He wanted corndogs – the boxed kind. He had read for hours, so I honored his choice and bought some. Beef corndogs, but still. I didn’t read the label because it helps the “food” not be as harmful if you avoid reading the label. Don’t you dare quote me on that because that was sarcastic and we’re really here to talk about eating lots of greens.
I guess the reason I brought up the corndogs was to share that we made the boys eat some peas and raspberries before the freaky corn covered meat on a stick came out of the oven. All of our kids love both peas and raspberries. They ate their obligatory servings – because they had to – then ate their weight in corndogs. I’m glad they enjoyed themselves because that won’t be happening again for quite some time.
Now that you are thoroughly disgusted or perhaps strangely comforted by the fact that I compromised and bought boxed corndogs, let’s get back to talking about the greens. Again, our boys actually like salads, which is why I struggle to understand the following:
When they are making a sandwich for the road, they put like three little pieces of spinach between the thick slices of bread and four pieces of meat and cheese. When they add a salad to their plate at dinnertime, they prefer their pile of greens to be the size of their pinkie toe. Sometimes they spread out the greens just a bit to make the pile look bigger, but I’m onto them. I know a tiny salad when I see one.
How I easily get my kids to eat more greens
Proof that my boys like their greens:
That is a serving bowl, not a cereal bowl. It is chuck full. The contents of said serving bowl were consumed entirely by one person. Our family ate this amount x5 last Friday. I rest my case.
See, when I make a salad as a main dish, adding meats and cheeses, my kids will eat giant bowls full and sometimes go back for more. We go through entire packages of mixed greens in one meal in this way.
The moral of this story is this: I shall be serving salads as meals as often as possible. Bring on the mixed greens and spinach tossed together with taco meat or bacon. This is how everyone wins. We are filled with nourishment, and it is more delicious than a corndog.
Our favorite Main Dish Salads
What are your favorite main dish salads? How does your family do when it comes to eating greens? Last and certainly least, when is the last time you bought a box of corndogs?
Any tips for the littles? My kids are 5, 3, and 2; they won’t touch salad in any form. I always out some on their plates, they think all “milkshakes” are green and they eat lots of other veggies quite happily.
It’s definitely harder when they are little. I used to try putting little pieces of spinach or cut lettuce on my littlest son’s plate with ranch dip on the side. He ate it like a finger food, dipping the pieces one by one into the ranch.
No worries with your little ones, especially since they are good about eating other veggies. I think eating salads comes with time and that maybe little bitty kids don’t even need it as much since across the board, it is hard to get them to eat it. Eventually I bet your kids will love it!
My kids started eating salad for dinner when they were around 6. Everyone loves caesar salads but another favorite is a hamburger salad recipe that I found.
The last time I bought corn dogs as a treat, it actually made them sick to their stomachs and cured that craving.
We like salads, except my son. He eats them without complaint, but it is the very last thing, along with raw broccoli. I’ve been making more dinner salads lately. They are fast, healthy, and clean up is easy. I use leftover grilled or smoked chicken in our dinner salads, which works out well. Taco salads are quite a treat as well. I am finding, thanks to you, that they will eat much more if I let them build their own. So eating their greens is becoming easier.
Oh, and we ate corndogs a few days ago. :) It was a treat as were the pizza rolls. But we did eat a huge serving of carrots with it. So it works out.
I’m totally with you on this one, Laura. My guys all love salads but, if I out meat and cheese in a salad, they will eat it all and not leave any for me. I’m happy they like it.
This year we started having make your own salad night – I provide greens and a variety of nuts & seeds, fruits, cheeses, meats (great way to clean out leftovers), and dressings and let everyone make their own combo. My kids 12, 9, 7, and 5, who never ate salad before, all love it!
It is nice to know that my son is not the only one that would still choose junk over healthy food no matter what! Our current favorite salad is a fajita salad. It is fajita meat and veggies (sauteed peppers, mushrooms, and onions are our favorites) on mixed greens with pico de Gallo, sour cream, hot sauce, and anything else you’d like. Sometimes we have tortilla chips and sometimes we have flour tortillas. I had it at a Mexican restaurant and fell in love! Another favorite is “pizza salad” which is salad with our favorite pizza toppings served with bleu cheese or ranch.
We have a salad bar dinner where I put out various cut up veggies, fruit, meat, nuts, cheese, eggs, whatever we have in the fridge. Usually just 6 ish toppings tops. Plus greens and dressing. 6 yr olds version is greens, a couple toppigs and dressing. 2 yr old chooses all the veg cheese and egg and dressing to dip it all in. Hubs goes easy on the greens and heavy on the protein heavy toppings. It works well for us to fit the meal to our tastes without catering specifically and everyone loves it!
I did your summer reading challenge with my kids this year and it worked beautifully! The first reading challenge that didn’t cause fighting or complaining so thank you for that!! I too put “choose your favorite meal” as one of their prizes, however, I worded it a little differently effectively eliminating eating out or junk food options. That weeks prize read “choose your favorite meal that mom makes.” HaHa! You see what I did there? So my oldest son picked meatball subs (the white hoagie roll was the bad part of that meal but still only had 6 ingredients) and my daughter chose beef fajitas with homemade refried beans and spanish rice. Don’t get me wrong, they still eat their fair share of junk food. I know my boys will be getting their corn dog fix when we attend the fair next month!
My children don’t even know corn dogs exist. I’ve never eaten one myself. ???? This summer will go down as the year of hot dogs though… It goes against my grain, but our whole house is under renovation, including the kitchen. Sometimes, with 3 littles and a crazy life, surviving is most important…
We have been enjoying fresh veggies from our garden. We have had tomato sandwiches (on our neighbour’s homemade bread) for breakfast every morning for the last number of weeks. So I guess it evens out. Sort of.
We love trying different types of salad too. Mitch loves southwest salads with chicken. I really love greens with various berries, walnuts. and a raspberry vinaigrette. :) When we fix salad for guests, we put out a bunch of toppings and let them assemble their own. We even do this for youth group sometimes. Our Phoenix kids preferred hot dogs, but here in Missouri they seem to like the healthy foods! Oh, and grapes are always a hit with teens!
Never underestimate the power of “dip”. We use that as a catch-all term for any liquid condiment, which I serve in wide variety. We’ll give our 2 year old one thin slice of each veggie that I’m putting in our salad and a few pieces of lettuce. Instead of pouring the dressing on top, we put the “dip” on the side. He likes dipping – the lettuce included. When (not if – it’ snot negotiable), when he eats all his “salad”, he gets a crouton. For some reason, the opportunity to get a crouton is a huge motivator to wolf down his veggies.
Philly Steak Unsandwiches over Spinach. It’s the main dish salad that will be served in my house tonight.
Some of my kids shrink from salad too. Unless it has meat and cheese on it.
And corndogs!?! Ha! My kids are all eating Twinkies this afternoon. I took my hubby with me to the grocery store and the Twinkie box fell into my cart by accident.