In my first blog of this series, I talked about children who were seriously picky. They gag, they sputter, they vomit even–at the mere mention of a vegetable or fruit! Or anything else that is not the incredibly short “acceptable foods” list. So now, we’re working on broadening the repertoire with a few ways that “sneak” in fruits and veggies.
Today, we’re going to talk about upping the likeability factor by adding fruits and veggies to yogurt. I will admit, that this is one area where I lied to my children. I told my oldest daughter that yogurt was really breakfast ice cream. It could be–after all who decided that it had to be called yogurt?
Carrot Salad
Did I say carrots? Yes, this is my tried and true way to get my kids to eat carrots. Finely shred some carrots. This is key because most kids who don’t like carrots won’t eat them if you slice them into coins or shred them too thick. Add some vanilla yogurt. How much you add depends on your child. But add enough that it seems like he’s eating “carrots and cream.” Sprinkle the top with a little bit of cinnamon sugar. You can also add raisins or dates if your child will eat it. You can even crush a granola bar and sprinkle it on top.
Banana Parfaits
Half of the fun of this is making it in a clear glass. So get a clear glass and layer the following: a layer of vanilla yogurt, a layer of sliced bananas, and then a layer of granola cereal. If you’re daring, try mixing different fruits in too. A layer of banana, yogurt, granola, and then blueberries. . .
Yogurt as a Condiment
Condiments make the meal. They may entice a seriously picky eater to stick that one piece of fruit or veggie in his mouth. Get a tray and cut up different types of fruits or vegetables. For a fruit dip you can use regular vanilla yogurt and add either vanilla flavoring, or cinnamon and just a tad of brown sugar. For vegetables, use plain yogurt and your good old salad dressing/dip mix. We like Lipton’s garden vegetable, but really you can mix either Ranch, or onion, or anything else similar that your heart desires.
The important thing to do is to keep trying. Keep offering, keep coaxing and keep trying different things. While your toddler may stick to only orange foods, rest assured he will likely snap out of it. . .eventually. I have never met an adult who only eats two or three orange foods!