My Tomato Head

Breaking news!  My 5 year old loves tomatoes!!!  It was a long road...but so worth it...

I feel for any parent out there who has to struggle to get their kids, especially young kids, to eat their fresh veggies.  I've been there, I am there and I will be there.  It's so difficult sometimes and such a battle that it's easier to just let it slide.  Should you give up?  Heck, No!  It is SO important for children to eat their veggies to make sure their growing bodies stay healthy.  

So how can you get your kids to eat their veggies and make the experience a little more successful and just overall pleasant for everyone?!?  This is the million dollar question.  I have tried most everything from pureeing the veggies and hiding it in other foods that they would eat with no struggle...yes, a while back I bought Jessica Seinfield's book, Deceptively Delicious, because Oprah told me to...to just plain making them eat it.  I feel that neither is really effective in the long run, although both methods yielded some pretty absolute results.  I wanted my kids to really grow to love vegetables and not just feel like they had to eat them.  I found the puree method (unless you're dealing with a newborn) was too tedious and hiding the actual texture and look of the veggie was not doing my kids any favors for the long run.  I wanted them to associate what a tomato looked like with the way it tasted, for example.  The other method forcing, usually worked, but extremely taxing for both parent and child.  So here are some of our "plans of attack", if you will, that my husband and I implemented which works most of the time.  Remember getting kids to eat vegetables is a life-long process...patience is key.

1) Fact: kids learn their eating habits early on from their parents.  If you want your kids to eat their vegetables, you have to eat them too, no exceptions.  My kids are 7, 5, and 5 months, and I've learned that they are "copycats" so why not use this to my advantage?  At every mealtime, especially dinner when we are all together, my husband and I usually fill-up our plates with fresh veggies to lead by example.  We do this consistently and it's pretty much habit at this point.

2) Get Them excited about veggies!  This is going to sound cheesy, but we overly emphasize or exaggerate how good a vegetable taste.  We also make it a point to mention what a certain vegetable does for their bodies, for example carrots and broccoli are good for the eyes, and so on, and so fort.  Yes, broccoli contains high levels of beta carotene, really good for the eyes.  Keeps us up to date on veggie knowledge and the kids learn too.

3) Season veggies well!  It makes all the difference.  Let's face it, some veggies just taste bland by themselves.  If it tastes good they'll be more likely to eat them.  So what we do is experiment with with healthy spices and fresh or dried herbs.  Saute veggies or roast them with olive oil.  Try new techniques and cook up a variety of Fresh veggies, change it up.  Don't underestimate what your child will eat.  It is important to expose them to all veggies even if it sounds too exotic. Fresh vegetables are very inexpensive for the most part and recipes are overflowing on the web, so this is really yours to play with. 

In a nutshell, although nothing is perfect, what works for us most of the time in getting the kids to eat their vegetables is being Consistent with leading by example, providing knowledge with Excitement, and for goodness sake cooking it so it Tastes Good!

In honor of my "Tomato Head", here's a fam favorite, Caprese Salad.  Recipe below, a must try as an appetizer or side dish.  It can even be a light entree, if you're in the mood.  This is Amaze-balls!

  

Caprese Salad, seriously amazing!!!

On one average day in my household, I asked my 5 year old what she wanted for an afternoon snack.  She said, "a tomato!"  I leaped and cheered and sang "Hooray", for this was one small victory for this grateful mom that day!

Here she is my "Tomato Head" with her whole cut-up tomato...she ate it all, that's my gurl!

Caprese Salad

by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

Ingredients

·         2 cups Balsamic Vinegar

·         3 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Sliced Thick

·         12 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thick

·         Fresh Basil Leaves

·         Olive Oil, For Drizzling

·         Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet. Allow to cool.

When you’re ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter. Arrange basil leaves between the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice. Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want. Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.

End with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread. Or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.