If you have children, you know that when it comes to food, their likes and dislikes can change from week to week, month to month, or stay firmly entrenched for what seems to be years! These preferences always show themselves when it comes time to eat vegetables! The good news is that vegetable-focused, kid-friendly snacks can make it a lot easier to build good eating habits and broaden their horizons at the same time.
Tweet ThisAs parents, we know it’s important for children to eat vegetables every day as the vitamins and minerals are essential for their developing bodies. However, it’s also easy to fall into the habit of only serving veggies that you know your child likes. That’s why it’s worth the effort of exposing your children to a variety of vegetables with tasty, healthy and kid-friendly snacks. Not only is this a way to meet the recommended daily servings, it also allows them to try new foods and flavors that are designed especially for their taste buds.
These Kid-Friendly Snacks Make Veggies Exciting
Here are some of our favorite kid-friendly snacks that include vegetables. Hopefully, they’ll spark your interest, and your child’s as well!
My Favorite Green Smoothie
Get the recipe on Yummy Mummy Kitchen
Chock full of sweet pineapple, mango, and coconut milk, this creamy fruit smoothie also includes a big handful of fresh spinach. While the spinach provides the bright green color, the result doesn’t have any vegetable taste.
Green Bean Fries
Get the recipe on The Lean Green Bean
Everybody loves these crispy green bean fries as an alternative to regular potato french fries. They’re simple to make and can be enjoyed as-is, or with a dipping sauce of your choice. Maybe try them with Tommy’s Super Spinach Dip.
Rainbow Chips
Get the recipe on Parents.com
Chances are, your local grocery store carries a few brands of “chips” made from root vegetables such as beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips… But, they’re also easy to make at home where you have control over the ingredients you’ll use and how they’re seasoned.
Rainbow Veggie Kabobs
Get the recipe on Two Healthy Kitchens
These Rainbow Veggie Kabobs are more fun to eat than the standard cut veggies on a plate and make a great replacement for a salad. Perfect for picnics and parties, too!
Melting Sweet Potatoes
Get the recipe on Desert for Two
In this recipe, oven roasted sweet potatoes drizzled with a maple pecan sauce that turns an ordinary root vegetable into something special! We’re positive everyone will love this as a side-dish for dinner and as a sweet treat in between meals.
Tried-And-True Classics
If you’re running short on time to spend in the kitchen, but still want to prepare kid-friendly snacks that include some vegetables, give these ideas a try!
Ants on a Log
The classic version of this kid-friendly snack uses celery, peanut butter, and raisins, but you can mix it up to include extra vegetables. Some popular combinations include guacamole with corn kernels or black beans; red pepper hummus with sunflower or pumpkin seeds; or a soft, spreadable dairy or nut-based cheese with chickpeas.
Cucumber Cups
If you’ve already made a container of chicken, tuna, or egg salad for lunches, you can use it for a quick snack served with cucumber. Cut a cucumber into 2-inch slices, scoop out the seeds, and fill. These are so tasty you’ll want to make a few for yourself!
Looking for more inspiration?
Are you looking for more great ideas of ways to add vegetables to your child’s diet? Check out our recent blog posts, 7 Must-try Desserts with Hidden Vegetables and Healthy Snacks: Thinking Outside the Box.
Once you try some of these suggestions, let us know what you and your kids think by posting in the comments or tagging us on social media. Happy snacking!
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