<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"It seems like kids who actually like veggies are few and far between. Mine (2, 4, 9) sure don&amp;#039;t. What can I do to get them to eat more? \u2013Kara K I applaud your good intentions, which are half the battle when it comes to getting greens down little gullets. Unfortunately the other half the battle (actually swallowing) is up to your kids. I figured as long as I persisted in offering a wide variety of vegetables meal after meal, eventually \u2014 maybe in a month, in a year, or once they faced the peer-pressure of a mushroom-pizza-loving pal \u2014 their roster of favorites would expand beyond potatoes and ketchup. Which is exactly what&amp;#039;s happened. I never had the energy (or cooking skills) to worry about hiding grated zucchini in cake batter and baking pureed peas as breakfast muffins. It&amp;#039;s worth noting kids&amp;#039; taste buds vary. I have one who eats only vegetables (all kinds, but no fruit) and one who, until puberty, ate no vegetables (only fruit). Same table, same mom, different kids. Meanwhile, since this advice is admittedly lame to anyone who wants to be more proactive, I asked someone with better experience, kids-and-food expert Sarah Henry of Lettuceeatkale, for her secrets to growing a veggie lover:  When shopping, give kids the chance to choose something they&amp;#039;ve never tried before or think they dislike. (Her son often picks exotics, like starfruit, which he doesn&amp;#039;t always like but definitely tries, because it was his selection.) Stir &amp;#039;em in a pot: One person&amp;#039;s hiding is another&amp;#039;s soup. Sarah puts certain rejected veggies into sauces and soups along with loved items. Try a different texture: Her son hated carrots until she discovered that he just prefers them RAW. (&amp;quot;Though he&amp;#039;s become partial to cooked carrot coins with butter, brown sugar, and cumin \u2013- and why not? they&amp;#039;re delicious!&amp;quot;) Experiment. One fave (post-toddler) is frozen peas, right out of the bag. Also good: Whip up a veggie-juice smoothie to sip. Get &amp;#039;em to dip &amp;#039;em: What you call salad fixins might go over better in dippable form: carrots, lettuce, cucs, pepper strips that can be dipped in something \u2014 sauces, dressings, even just a mashed avocado or a little oil &amp;amp;amp; vinegar into which your child adds a favorite touch like lemon, herbs, or sea salt (buy those shakers that come with a built-in grinder, very popular at my house). Invite your child into the kitchen. &amp;quot;I know from personal and teaching experience that kids who make it, try it,&amp;quot; says Sarah (who took this picture of students at Windrush School in El Cerrito, Calif).  Introduce the &amp;#039;polite bite&amp;#039; concept. Frame it as part of good table manners, that you thank the chef for his/her efforts and try one small taste. No begging, pleading, coercion, threats, or punishment. And ignore their negative responses, even &amp;quot;that&amp;#039;s gross!&amp;quot; Just applaud the fact that they tried \u2014 the first step is the hardest!   What I like best about these ideas is how laid-back they are. Veggie love made easy! \u2013Paula Spencer, WD &amp;quot;Momfidence&amp;quot; columnist  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/a42539/how-oh-how-can-i-get-my-kids-to-eat-vegetables-4490/>