Here’s How You Can Cook Vegetables For Toddlers

Vegetables are packed with fibre, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants and help promote healthy growth and development. They have also been beneficial in preventing chronic diseases. But, if you have a picky eater in the house, including veggies in their daily diet can be a challenge.

How do you create a positive relationship between your child and vegetables? The trick is to cook them in different ways to make them more interesting for them.

Here’s how you can make vegetables more interesting for your toddler. 

7 Ways To Make Vegetables More Appealing For Toddlers

1. Broccoli

Preparation method: Cut the broccoli florets from the stalks and then trim them into smaller sizes. Remove the hard stalk or peel it and then slice it into sticks for eating raw.
Blanch: Add some salt to a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Then cook the broccoli for 4-5 minutes until it becomes tender and drain the water.
Roast: Spread the broccoli florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then coat the florets with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes at 425°F until they turn tender and golden.

2. Cabbage

Make a salad: Slice the cabbage thinly and put it into a bowl. You can also add some shredded carrot and then toss some olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and a spoonful of mayonnaise.
Roast: Slice the cabbage thinly and sprinkle salt, and pepper and toss some olive oil. Then roast the cabbage in the oven for about 20 minutes at 425°F until it turns tender and golden.

3. Cucumber

Preparation method: Cut off the ends from both sides. Slice the cucumber in half vertically and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
Make a salad: Using a vegetable peeler, slice the cucumber into long and wide ribbons. Then dress the cucumber with a little bit of rice vinegar, sesame oil and salt. Top off the salad by sprinkling some toasted sesame seeds and serve it to your child.
Make a dip: Use a grater to grate the cucumber and then mix it into plain yoghurt. Squeeze some lemon juice into it along with one clove of chopped garlic. Finish it with a pinch of salt. Enjoy this cucumber dip with other veggies or with some chicken or fish.

4. Green Beans

Preparation method: Cut off the stem end of each bean. 
Blanch them: Add some salt to a large pan and bring it to boil for about 4-5 minutes until the beans become tender. Drain the water from the beans then drizzle them with some olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and if you want to add some extra crunch, add sliced almonds. 
Roast them: Spread the beans on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 425°F until they become tender and golden.

5. Cauliflower

Preparation method: Cut off the leaves from the cauliflower and discard them. Cut the cauliflower length-wise into medium-sized pieces. Cut the florets from the core and don’t use the core, discard it.
Make a soup: Chop onion and then cook it along with the florets from half a cauliflower in oil in a large pot. Add one quarter of vegetable or chicken broth, and salt, along with one peeled and chopped potato. Once the broth comes to a boil, simmer the soup until the potato becomes tender and it’s ready to serve.
Roast: Take a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread the florets on it. Coat the florets with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes at 425°F until the cauliflower turns tender and looks brown. Serve the roasted florets with a little bit of parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice.

6. Spinach

Preparation method: Wash the spinach and dry the leaves. Spinach leaves shrink down to almost nothing after cooking so add a lot of them. If you have frozen chopped spinach, it saves the time needed for washing them.
Make a smoothie: You can make a delicious fruit smoothie by adding spinach which will become your kid’s favourite. Add a handful of spinach to about ½ cup milk, ½ banana, ½ cup frozen berries and 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.
Make a salad: Place the clean spinach in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of vinegar, 2-3 cubes of cooked chicken breasts, some thin cucumber slices and peas. Then sprinkle some salt and pepper along with some lemon juice and serve. 

7. Sweet Potato

Make baked fries: You don’t need to peel the sweet potatoes, slice the sweet potatoes with the peel into sticks or wedges. Use a parchment-lined baking sheet to spread the sweet potatoes and coat them with some olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. If you wish, you can add other spices like oregano, turmeric and chilli powder. Roast in the oven at 425°F for about 30-35 minutes until they turn tender and golden. Remember to flip the sweet potatoes once in between.
Make a mash: Prick some holes in the sweet potatoes using a fork and then microwave them on high for about 8 minutes until they become tender. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool until they’re comfortable to handle. Then, peel off the skin and transfer the peeled sweet potatoes to a bowl. Add some butter, sprinkle some salt and drizzle some maple syrup(optional). Use a fork to mash until it becomes smooth.

Serving vegetables to kids just got an interesting twist with these easy yet delicious methods. Your child may have a feeding problem and might be a picky eater, the trick is to introduce little portions of these veggies and set an example yourself by eating the same with them.