Week 2: 12 Ways to Sneak Greens into your Child’s Diet

Or your Husband’s Diet…Or your Mother’s Diet…Or how About your Own diet?

Kids are not the only ones to play the ‘I don’t like vegetables’ card. And because leafy-greens are the most nutrient dense foods of all the vegetables, we are dedicating this post to them. Here they are:

1 – Put them in a Smoothie

If your child is really picky, use spinach. It’s the most neutral tasting of leafy greens and hides well in smoothies. It also blends well no matter what type of blender you have. If you have a more adventurous eater use something more nutritious like kale.

2 – Add them to Macaroni and Cheese or any Pasta Dish

Simply chop the greens into bite-sized pieces, lightly saute them and mix them into the dish. Both collard greens and chard go great with pasta.

3 – Make a Tasty Salad Dressing

Adding a really good salad dressing can distract kids from the fact that they are eating a bowl of raw greens

4 – Pair it with Fruit

Kids love fruit. I suggest making a large salad and adding some chopped strawberries or mango. The Sunshine Salad was a huge hit with the kids (and parents) this week.

5 – Add it to their Favorite Juice Recipes

Start by adding just 1/2 a leaf to a juice recipe, and slowly increase the amount of greens over time. Ideally 2-3 leaves.

6 – Cookies!

Sounds crazy, but trust us! Try the Swamp Cookies for yourselves

7 – Kale Chips

These are best if dehydrated but can also be baked at a low temperature. The crisp texture of the kale is something your kids will go crazy for. And you’ll feel good about them snacking on these nutrient rich chips.

8 – Make a Grain Bowl

A lot of Vegan restaurants have a version of this, usually called a hippie bowl. It consists of a grain (millet, quinoa or brown rice), a sauce, some cooked greens and some seeds. These are fun because they allow you to be creative.

9 – Layer it on a Sandwich or Burger

Cut up a bunch of leafy greens and encourage your child to decorate their bun with all the fixings. Kids like to be creative in the kitchen and this allows them to.

10 – Make a Taco Bar

Encourage your child to fill their shells with every color of the rainbow.

11 – Make Pesto

Switch out the basil for some nutrient dense arugula or add spinach to your existing recipe. Pesto is an easy recipe that kids can have fun preparing.

12 – Add Greens to your Pizza

Pull your pizza out of the oven 10 minutes early and add some chopped spinach. Put it back in the oven for the remaining 10 minutes. Just like that you upped the nutritional value and got a little more greens in your family’s diet.