Recently, my son decided quite suddenly that he no longer liked his favorite vegetable, broccoli. It was as if a little gnome had taken up residence in his three-year-old brain and had planted the seed of aversion. So, I did what any sneaky mom would do: I quickly referenced my secret mental bag-of-tricks of how to get the child to eat his greens. And, without flinching I challenged, “Hey, I bet I can eat my broccoli tree faster that you can.” And, so it began. For the next few minutes my son and I competed by devouring our florets one-by-one. With the race over as quickly as it had begun, I proclaimed defeat. When all was said and done, my son had consumed a veritable forest– ample enough to be considered a healthy portion.Since then, I got to thinking about that bag-of-tricks that I regularly employ to ensure that my (young) children intake the nutrients they need. The following is a list of the most effective.

1. Small meals, small portions. Children can get overwhelmed by placing too much on their plates at one time. I find that if I put two or three pieces of an item at a time, it’s manageable. And, I never offer more that three different choices on a plate. Otherwise, my children get this glazed-over look in their eyes and the food playing, tossing, squishing begins.
2. Keep a bowl of fresh fruits in a visible place (out of reach, if you prefer). I began doing this when my son hit about the two-year mark. It was a point when I no longer had to peel and chop his apples, pears etc. for him, although I did and still do continue to monitor his eating to prevent choking. He loves to survey what’s available and make his selection. At three, he generally asks if the produce has been washed and then just takes it upon himself to find a seat and dig in. My one-year old daughter has now followed suit. It’s virtually effortless for me and, I think it gives them both a sense of independence and pride.
3. Take it into your own hands to rename or re-purpose any and all potentially offending food. Use your own judgment for whatever will work for your family. Broccoli as trees in an asparagus forest. Corn and pomegranate seeds become magic dinosaur vitamins. Spaghetti can be worms or snakes or pretty ribbons. Olives positioned as eyeballs. For some reason I’ve never had to rename carrots. The phrase “orange and crunchy” was enough to consistently give them a toddler’s green light.
4. Everything tastes good coated in “sprinkles.” This could fall under #3, but I felt it was powerful enough to warrant it’s own point. I sprinkle wheat germ, milled flax seed, finely ground almonds (very nutritious, low on nut-allergy factor) on many, many-a-food. If you have to resort to trickery, you may add a tiny bit of colored sugar to make it more appealing—but simply referring to anything as sprinkles should do the trick. Then, load up the sprinkles in a shaker, and let the kids have at it.
5. Good quality cookie cutters make anything look cool. For some reason, my son decided recently that peanut butter and jelly is off his acceptable foods list. I took matters into my own hands. I cut it into the shape of a train engine. Problem solved. Sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, black bean quesadillas, and vegetable quick breads— the list is endless. (Disclaimer: sadly, plastic cookie cutters aren’t always quite as reliable as metal. Do what you can.)
6. Smoothies, shakes and sundaes. I can put just about anything in the blender or underneath a small dollop of freshly whipped cream and my children will devour it. Organic milk, soymilk, almond milk make excellent bases for smoothies. Go wild on the endless possibilities of add-ins. I like to freeze fresh fruits (mango is a favorite) and avocados, juiced vegetables and, again, finely milled grains and nuts are a great way to enrich a smoothie or sprinkle on a yogurt sundae. Make sure your ingredients are cold. For additional calcium and protein, try adding a scoop of dry powdered organic milk. (May we suggest Organic Valley brand.)
7. Grate fruits and vegetables into your baking mixes and pass it off as confetti. Muffins, scones, pancakes and waffles all get a nutritional boost from this trick.
8. Warning: blanching can cause an avalanche of fun dips and chips. Blanch veggies like carrots or peas and add to yogurt, cottage cheese or hummus. Grating is helpful here, too. Sometimes I blanch and then blend the veggies in a food processor to make a guacamole-style dip. I season with grated garlic or ginger and add to the peas or carrots respectively. For chips, I cut whole wheat pita bread into wedges/triangles, brush with butter or olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for a few minutes. A great treat is to sprinkle with cinnamon and a pinch of sugar for scooping up the gingered carrot dip.
9. Sometimes it’s best to let fruits and vegetables speak for themselves. Most of the time even children with adventurous palates simply want to enjoy a carrot stick the way it was intended: raw. As my son often exclaims, “Orange and crunchy!”
10. Be consistent and get ‘em hooked while they’re young. The best piece of dietary advice my pediatrician has ever given me is to just keep offering fruits and veggies whenever possible and especially after it’s been refused. Children (especially toddlers) are fickle. Offer them everyday, but don’t force the issue. Be encouraging but not overbearing. Don’t get discouraged— just put it out there with a pleasant grin, and let nature take it’s course.

One final note: As questionable as it may seem to some, I steam a frozen mix of organic vegetables (the corn, peas, diced carrots and green beans blend) and serve a few times a week. True, it’s not fresh from the produce aisle, but frozen veggies -as opposed to canned- do retain most of their nutrient content. Of course with a steam time of 3-5 minutes, it also couldn’t be easier to prepare. I don’t bother with seasoning or buttering. I just serve it as is. It pleases me to watch as my toddler happily picks up the perfectly-sized pieces and feeds herself. She gets to practice her fine motor skills, and I am satisfied that she gets in a serving of veggies.