
Did you know children ages 2 to 5 need between 1 and 2 cups of vegetables each day? Vegetables are a great snack filled with vitamins and minerals. It is common for young children to dislike or refuse some vegetables. Patience works better than pressure. Offer your children a variety of foods. Then let them choose how much to eat. Here are a few ideas for making vegetables more appealling:
- Be a good role model for children by eating vegetables yourself with meals and as snacks.
- Let your kids be "produce pickers." Let them pick out the vegetables at the store or farmers market.
- Try different forms - vegetables may be fresh, frozen, canned, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed.
- Offer choices. Rather than ask, "Do you want broccoli for dinner?" ask "Which would you like for dinner, broccoli or cauliflower?"
- Kids like to taste what they have helped prepare. Depending on their age, children can help clean, peel, or cut up vegetables.
- Children often prefer foods served separately. So, rather than mixed vegetables try serving two vegetables separately.

Vegetable Snowman
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
- 1 cucumber, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water
- 1 Tablespoon sliced olives
- 2 carrot sticks, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, peeled
- 3 cherry tomatoes, gently rubbed under cold running water
- 1/2 bell pepper, gently rubbed under cold running water
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Place ranch dressing in a small cup for the snowman's head.
- Assemble vegetables in the shape of a snowman using cucumber slices for the body, carrots for arms and nose, cherry tomatoes for buttons, bell peppers for hat and scarf, and olives for the eyes.
- Be creative and feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand. A “Vegetable Snowman” is a great item to bring to holiday parties and family events.
Do your kids love to dip? A "Vegetable Snowman" is a great item to bring to holiday parties and family events or just a fun snack to make. Feel free to be creative and use any type of vegetable that you might have on hand.
Nutrition Information:
- Calories 93
- Total Fat 4.4g
- Saturated Fat 0.5g
- Cholesterol 4.8mg
- Sodium 385mg
- Total Carbohydrates 12.4g
- Fiber 2.4g
Source:
Vegetables, MyPlate, United States Department of Agriculture
This newsletter has been peer-reviewed.
Tags: