Vegetables can play an important role in helping control kids’ weight gains while supplying important nutrients they need for growth and development.

But getting kids to eat them can sometimes be a challenge.

“To get kids to eat vegetables, they must be available when and where kids tend to eat, be very easy- to -eat, and taste good,” said Joan Carter, R.D., an instructor in the department of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and a cordon-bleu trained chef.

To make vegetables more tempting to kids, Carter offers these tips:

* Offer the new vegetable at the beginning of the meal when small children are the hungriest. Serve vegetables in new combinations. Children tend to favor peas, potatoes, carrots, beans and corn. Mix these vegetables with others they are less likely to eat, such as broccoli and cauliflower.
* Use a little fat, sugar, and salt to make the healthy foods ‘taste good’ to kids. Cook carrots with a little sugar and chicken stock; make carrot ’slaw’ with raisins; top broccoli with low-fat cheese sauce; add grated vegetables like carrots or squash to home-baked muffins.”Kids are born liking sweet tastes, so use this to your advantage,” Carter said.
* Prepare vegetables in new ways. Try a stir-fry or ‘fortify’ prepared soup with extra fresh or frozen vegetables. Mix a vegetable in with a favorite food, such as peas in macaroni and cheese or blend soft cooked carrots into mashed potatoes. Add vegetables to pizza toppings or sautéed minced veggies like broccoli and red pepper and add to spaghetti and pizza sauces, meat loaf, and pureed soups. Make oven-baked sweet potato ‘fries’ or bake this high-fiber, vitamin-A rich alternative to white potatoes with a touch of sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
* Make eating veggies fun and easy. For kids over the age of 4, keep veggie ‘kabobs’ with cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices or ‘grab bags’ with baby carrots, broccoli ‘trees,’ and celery sticks near low-fat dips or salsa on a child-level shelf in the refrigerator. Use cut-up pieces of vegetables to make a “smiley face” on mashed potatoes. Offer an edible spoon, such as a stalk of celery, to scoop up chili or stew.
* Enlist kids to help scour magazines for new veggie recipes that the family could try. Engage kids in an “ingredient-list scavenger hunt” at the grocery store and later let them assist in preparing the new recipe at home.
* Become a family of Farmers’ Market ‘explorers’ who stop and ask growers about their produce, their farms, and how they cook their vegetables for themselves. Grow a family vegetable garden.
* Be a good role model. Eat your vegetables, and show you excitement about finding and trying new ones.

But, what if despite your best efforts, your children still turn up their noses at anything yellow, green or leafy?

“Don’t give up,” Carter said. Young children tend to be ‘neophobic,’ which literally means they are ‘afraid’ of new foods. “It may take some time before kids try a vegetable and it might take a lot of tries before they begin to like it,” she said.

Carter’s advice: Continue to offer vegetables at each meal and encourage children to try one bite. If they don’t like it, that’s fine. Allowing young kids to stop at one bite can make trying new foods less scary, while forcing them to eat something they truly don’t like will only make the situation worse.

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Ingredients:

14 ounce package water-packed firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup frozen baby green peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Procedure:

Set tofu on several layers of paper towels and cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally to dry off. In a large bowl, mix salt, white pepper, and turkey in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, pepper, and garlic. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook 6 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove tofu from pan and cover to keep warm. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan and add turkey mixture. Cook 3 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color, stirring to crumble. Stir in hoisin mixture, tofu, and peas. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with green onions.

Ingredients:

8 ounces ground sirlion
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
8 ounces dry whole wheat spaghetti, cooked only until it still has a firm bite

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add the first 4 ingredients and saute 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, water, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until thick. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the flour, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove milk mixture from heat. Stir in feta cheese, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, and egg. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons panko in a 2 quart casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Place 2 cups spaghetti in casserole, and top with 2 cups beef mixture and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers. Combine 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons panko, and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

6 ounces sourdough bread
10 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons butter, divided
3 cups chopped leek
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups plain soy milk
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut sourdough into chunks and process in a food processor until they reach fine crumbs - you need about 2 1/2 to 3 cups total. Cook cauliflower in boiling water 15 minutes or until tender; drain. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add leek and 3 garlic cloves - cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. In a small bowl, combine flour and milk, stirring with a whisk. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer - cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in cauliflower. Scoop cauliflower mixture into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small skillet, melt remaining 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat. Add remaining 3 garlic cloves - cook 30 seconds or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, parsley, and thyme. Drizzle with garlic-butter mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over cauliflower. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and browned.