Getting your pickiest eater to try new veggies can be overwhelming. Their picky tendencies generally result in us cooking the same meals week after week to keep the peace and ensure they are eating something. With picky eaters, we often feel something is better than nothing. And that generally means a lot of pasta, french fries, nuggets, pizza, and cereal.
Last week I held a cooking class for picky eaters. It was the ultimate challenge. Many of the kids had given up on veggies and their parents were very discouraged. I was specifically tasked with teaching veggie side dishes to give parents some new ideas.
I've had a number of picky eaters in classes over the years and the outcome is always the same. The picky eater tries the new recipe and LOVES it. There is just something about that environment that is an absolute game changer for picky eaters.
For this cooking class, I featured two dishes: Veggie Cakes (with zucchini and carrot) and Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice. The outcome was exactly as predicted. The picky eaters not only loved each recipe, but they ended up eating more than anyone else.
The parents and kids left the night in sheer amazement over the recipes and couldn't wait to go home and try them again.
Raising healthy eaters takes work. Hard work! Daily work! It takes a constant commitment to try new foods. As parents, we often give up too soon and just assume that our child will be a picky eater forever. The truth is that kids actually enjoy trying new things...especially when other kids are around (hint, hint- try that approach).
Picky tendencies tend to live on much longer than needed for two reasons:
- Under exposure to new foods. At the end of the day we just want a peaceful dinner. Many times, trying new foods is just too much to tackle, so we carry on with the things that we know will work. I don't know very many kids that ever get sick of macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, or pizza. So that's generally what dinner looks like every night. Very little vegetable intake.
- Over exposure to the same food. Sometimes we get fixated on a method that works and serve it so many times that our kids no longer want it. My kids LOVED raw cucumbers, so I gave cucumbers to them every day...for 4 years. Now they no longer want them. I let it go on for way too long without trying something new.
Most recently, we tried Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice. I didn't make a big deal about it being cauliflower. I just served it. My kids LOVED it. They had no idea they weren't eating rice. It was a hit, so I've now made it 6 times.
I desperately want to continue serving it weekly knowing that it worked and is full of nutrients, but I'm also walking a fine line with "over exposure" that can lead to them losing interest. So it's time to move on to a new recipe. We'll add that to our Top 20 Favorite Recipes, but it won't be on the weekly lineup.
This month I am challenging our Healthy Kids community to try one new recipe each week.
It doesn't have to be anything exotic. Maybe it's roasted carrots instead of steamed. Maybe it's beets for the first time. There are no rules. Just step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Then post your new dish to the HKI Facebook page so that we can cheer you on. Even if your kids didn't like it, that's ok. You tried something new, and that's what counts.
And if you want to try this AMAZING cauliflower dish as a way to up your veggie intake while also appealing to your picky eater, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed.
