16 Tricks for Getting Your Kids to Eat Veggies (2024)

There’s no point in denying it: Kids don’t like vegetables. Hence the age-old question: How do you get your kids to eat more veggies? You’ve perfected the art of persuasion and put away the snack foods in hopes that they’ll be hungry enough to scarf down that spinach. What parent hasn’t promised an extra hour of tv or a dessert (yep, that’s counterproductive) in exchange for cleaning up those carrots? After bribery, there’s always trickery, and eventually… all-out war. If you’ve got a kiddo who eyes each plate like a hawk — a hawk that only eats pasta and pizza — it’s time to give him something interesting to look at. Solve your picky-eater problems with these 16 clever ideas.

1. Make Veggie “Fries”: What if your kids magically ate everything that was on their plate? That’s no surprise when fries are on the menu. These tasty treats have got good things going for them: They’re fries — and hey, there’s dip involved! (via Pottery Barn Blog)

2. Disguise Veggies As Candy: These Paleo “skittles” are made from fruit, veggies and organic coconut oil. Serve ’em up in a colorful cup for a fun snack. (via Joyful Abode)

3. ServeThem in aCup: We’ll call this delicious little project “No sibling left behind.” Because there’s nothing more horrible than being stuck at the table over a plate of chickpeas, while your smart-eater sister chills in front of the television. (via Taste of Japan)

6. Serve it Pretty: Real talk: Adults need veggies too. Even the most broccoli-abhorrent parent will agree that a display this pretty is appealing. (via Modern Parents Messy Kids)

8. Make a Food Face ($12): Your child will work up an appetite creating food faces for Mr. or Ms. Fashion Plate. These fun plates from Uncommon Goods encourage kids to get hands-on with those veggies.

9. Sneak Them in a Sauce: Obviously the goal is to get kids to learn to love veggies. But there’s nothing wrong with sneaking a few extra servings in here and there. This veggie-packed sauce should be a staple in every momma’s kitchen. (via Parenting)

10. Serve a Creative Plate: Sometimes a fun food arrangement is all it takes to encourage a kid to enjoy their food. Bonus points if you can think of interesting names for each food. Broccoli is way less boring when it becomes “tiny trees" and beets are suddenly beautiful when they've transformed into “jewels". (via Meet the Dubiens)

11. Veggies in Popsicle Form: Because no kid ever did turn down a popsicle. (via Cooking Stoned)

12. Play with Your Food: Yep, play with your food. We know your mom wouldn’t approve, but hey — the times, they’re a-changin’. If having a little fun with food will encourage kids to eat better, we’re all for it. (via She Knows)

13. Drink‘Em Up: Kids need at least five servings of fruits and veggies daily. This smoothie is a delicious disguise for at least one of those servings. (via A Pumpkin and a Princess)

14. Transform Veggies Into Fruit Snacks: That box of fruit snacks from the store? It’s definitely not veggies… and maybe not even fruit. Kids will be pleasantly fooled by this healthy (shhh — and veggie-loaded) alternative. (via Modern Parents Messy Kids)

15. Sneak Veggies in Every Snack: We know — the experts all say to put a stop to snacktime so kids will eat better at mealtime. But since the no-snack policy isn’t always realistic, we’ve found a way to sneak veggies into a snack. This green apple fruit leather is sure to be a hit. (via Oh My Veggies)

16. Make It a Game: Send the kids on a snack-time hunt, or turn this idea into a guessing game. Suddenly veggies are cool and fun to eat — no mealtime breakdowns involved. (via Kailo Chic)

Do your little ones like vegetables? Any tips? We’re all ears — share your smart ideas below.