My kids loved the fruit plate so I decided to see if they were as enthusiastic about a vegetable plate. I sliced carrots on a diagonal, cut some cucumber, steamed some broccoli, took the ends off the snow peas and arrange them on the plate. Then I placed the fruit plate in the middle of the table and watched to see what happened. I have found that if I tell my kids they need to eat something they immediately resist and say “No…I don’t want to.” But if I just put a colorful plate of food in front of them they often surprise me. I like to include some food I know they like or have eaten before as well as some food that they have been less than enthusiastic about. On this day, they certainly did surprise me by making veggie sandwiches. They used the cucumbers for the “bread” and the carrots inside. My son made a cucumber sandwich using carrots and snow peas as the filling. Sophie, a friend of my 7 year old, was over for dinner and played a big part in the sandwich making. She even asked her mom for a carrot the next day, she liked it so much–which surprised her mom since she had never asked for one before.
Lynna Kay - I’ve been trying to inspire myself to eat more vegetables and ate some raw snowpeas today but thought they were bitter. Is that how they are supposed to taste?
I cannot get away from my brain wanting to dip everything I eat in something – like hummus or ketchup or blue cheese dressing. Do you know of any good gfcf dips that I wouldn’t feel terrible about myself afterwards having eaten?
Anonymous - Great idea. I have offered my 2 1/2 year old little plates of vegetables since he was about 1. He is in love with yellow peppers and likes most vegetables. I sometimes treat him by putting a small egg cup of ketchup in the middle as well.
My friend taught me to carry round corn cobs, sliced peppers, sliced cucumbers, sliced carrots, bowls of peas and cooked vegetables as snacks instead of the usual stuff and he is really used to it. Also baby corn.
I’m going to try it in sandwiches as well.
By the way I love cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese.
Territory Mom - I’ll try this today. Great idea. I’m going to have my library get Evidence of Harm for me. It sounds great. We have to get gfcf, not sure where to start. Great blog.