How I Got My Kid to Eat Leafy Greens

 I got to experience a very proud Mama moment today .  Dashing some raw kale salad with finishing touches I let my two year old Leo try a bite and he said “Mmmmm”, meaning, yum.

I've always read that if you're kid doesn't like a food, to keep offering it, and eventually they will come around. Well, this is about the many-eth time I offered Leo leafy greens, and he finally responded positively. Here's how I did it:

1. I snuck it:  Although today was the first day he volunteered to eat a big heaping plate of leafies, he has actually had them many times before. Maybe not the ideal way to get your kid eating vegetables, I thought if Leo at least had greens in his memory palate, he would eventually choose to eat some. We blend leafy greens into smoothies, and include them chopped up teeny tiny in stir fry's, pasta sauce, scrambles, etc.

2. I asked for help. Leo is my partner in crime. Although I often dream of going by myself, I am glad to take the kids with me to experience the store. Since we eat little processed type foods, I can ask Leo to pick out lots of things.  (If we were eating processed foods he would not pick based on instinct but rather based on the advertisements, that is why I mention this). I ask him to choose his own apples, I ask him to smell the spices we get from the bulk aisle to make sure they're extra smelly, I ask him to help me put the groceries away, and I ask him for help while cooking. This makes him feel so special.  
   
   
   When making raw kale salad you have to break up the kale into small pieces and massage them with your hands until they become tender and juicy. A child loves this task.  In this particular kale salad I added dried cranberries and walnuts. Leo saw me do this and became interested in the salad because he knows he likes cranberries and walnuts in his oatmeal and for snacks. He began to equate the salad with stuff he already likes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. We ate and continue to eat greens. A lot. Any parent knows how sponge-like kids are, how observant and watchful they are, and of course, how much they admire, and want to be just like their parents. If we are drinking out of coffee mugs, Leo wants one. When I eat with chop sticks, Leo wants a pair too. Aside from the few months when he first started solids and I made purees, I have never gone out of my way to feed him different food than we eat. If he doesn't like what we are eating I excuse him from the table and in a kind way explain to him that he will not be offered food again until the next snack or meal time. Often times he will come back around a minute later and eat. If he doesn't, I know he is not going to starve, give him extra snack later and let it go. 
   
   
    So the scenario goes something like this: We sit down to eat and lets say tonight we are having tofu scramble, home fries, greens, and toast. Leo's plate doesn't have any greens on it because I know he doesn't like them. He observes our plates and see's what is different. He wants to be like us so he inquires about the greens. I offer him a bite off my plate, he spits it out, we move on. No judgment, punishment, reward, it is what it is, and we continue to eat. Until today. Triumph! Not only did he eat a big pile of kale, but then asked for seconds.  It was truly amazing.  
   
   
   
   
   
4. I stopped worrying. Once, for about two seconds, I started to worry about Leo not eating his greens. But when I thought about the healing properties of greens as blood purifiers and for detoxification, it dawned on me that a healthy toddler may not really need these things. His diet up until now has consisted of breastmilk and whole foods. His organs, intestines, and blood are still so very young and healthy; he doesn't need greens the way that adults do. So I stopped worrying about it. He loves lots of vegetables that are great for development, such as carrots and squash. I didn't have my first bite of kale until I was in my twenties, so I thought, even if it takes twenty years, he will probably come around.
   
   
   Although I am writing this about my toddler, I am confident that it can be applied to any picky eater or person who does not have a lot of experience preparing or eating greens. And if you've heard about or read about all the amazing benefits of leafy greens but simply don't like them, keep trying. There is a recipe, or a type of green that will work for you, and eventually, your palate might ask you for more. 
   
   
   A great place to start is with kale chips. They are very easy to make and taste like potato chips.
   
   
   Another tip is to start fresh. The difference in flavor and texture between a fresh bunch of local kale, and conventional kale from the store (or frozen or canned) is indisputable. Try it out sometime. If you have a garden or farmers market, start there. You may find you didn't like greens before because of quality.

The recipe for kale chips and raw kale salad are on my website and linked below, along with a fantastic article about the many benefits of incorporating leafies into your diet, yes you!  

 http://lisahickshc.com/raw-kale-salad-cranberries

http://lisahickshc.com/kale-chips-12

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/reasons-kale-is-the-new-beef-nutritious-sustainable.html


Lisa Hicks is all about everyone, everywhere, eating leafy greens.  To learn more about this visit:  http://lisahickshc.com/