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Getting Your Kids to Eat Broccoli
by Christine Steendahl

Description: Tips for getting your kids to eat broccoli.
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Most kids are particular when it comes to eating green veggies. They have their favorites and then there are the ones that they won’t consume no matter how hard you try. If your little one won’t venture to try anything green, learn ideas to get them to consume it and enjoy the flavor. Today, we’ll be starting with broccoli.

The easiest way to help your child to eat broccoli is to add it to a dish that they already like. If your child has never tried broccoli, this will make it easier still. The taste of the other foods will mask the taste of the broccoli. Broccoli doesn’t taste bad, but it does need some sprucing up to taste better.

Add broccoli to a bowl of macaroni and cheese. The majority of kids like to eat macaroni and cheese. Steam a pot of broccoli until it is almost done, but still very green. Once the macaroni and cheese is ready mix the broccoli in. Before you mix it, cut off the stalks. The tops are easier to eat. Sometimes the stalks have hard parts that you could chew on for days and they still wouldn’t disappear. If you don’t want to chop all of those stems, buy bags of broccoli that just contain the florets.

Does your little one love casseroles? Mix in broccoli to your favorite casserole. Turn a cheesy chicken and rice hot dish into a cheesy chicken, broccoli, and rice hot dish. A beef and noodle casserole could get a touch of green with some broccoli florets. Your kids will be so happy that they don’t have to eat peas that they won’t even care about what’s in the hot dish.

My kids like chicken potpie. Most potpies contain chunks of potatoes, carrots, and green beans. If you are making it homemade, throw in a few baby broccoli florets to the veggie mixture. Once the veggies soften and combine with the chicken, and the cream soup the taste blends right in. You can add broccoli to a turkey or a beef potpie in addition.

Offer broccoli as a snack. Many times, kids will snack on veggies when they are raw and they taste better to them that way. Set out a plate of broccoli with the stalks and a bowl of ranch dressing. Ranch dressing on veggies is tasty and a quick snack to nibble on while watching television or doing homework. It fills them up for the moment and there’s no sugar in it to ruin their dinner. If ranch dressing is not their thing, try cottage cheese, yogurt, or another type of dressing.

Broccoli works great as a side with a sauce. Most of the time you see broccoli with a sauce, it is cheese sauce. Watch the fat content though. Use a low-fat cheese to melt over the top or try Velveeta® light cheese spread. Light salsa con queso (with cheese) is also an option for a sauce topping.

Broccoli is a good vegetable to consume. It can be combined to any pasta dish or casserole, or used as a side dish with a sauce for flavor. Getting your kids to appreciate broccoli is a challenge but it can be completed if you use their favorite foods as cover.

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