Getting Your Kids To Eat More Veggies, The Easy Way!

"Kids, eat your veggies!" is a phrase that's on constant repeat on our house. Every day, for two meals a day, I practically beg and plead with my boys to "eat your vegetables, please!" I've sung the songs, danced the dances and even tried my hand at creating those little artistic masterpieces you see all over Pinterest- what with their googly-eyed toothpicks and creatively cookie-cutter sandwiches. 

But to no avail.

In our house there is never a more drama-filled dinner than that caused by the appearance of greenery on one's perfectly portioned plastic plate. You see, very few foods will my boys turn up their noses at but if it's leafy and green or it grows in the ground, chances are it's not one of their favorites.  

As a mom I've learned to pick and choose my battles and I will be the first parent to take one for the team all the while singing "Let It Go" under my breath. However, when it comes to eating healthy, that's not exactly an arena I'm willing to turn a blind eye to.

Surely I can't be the only mom out there who struggles with dinner time drama, after all, according to the State of the Plate report, 9 out of 10 people in the United States aren't getting the proper amount of vegetables!  I know I'm not the best with numbers but I'd say that's just about all of us who aren't eating our veggies! 

Everyone knows it can be tough to get a balanced meal on the table every day, especially Birds Eye. That's why their line of frozen vegetables helps us moms by providing nutritious, delicious vegetables that kids will love.

Birds Eye continues to make eating more vegetables a reality by showing families how to fill half the plate with veggies in fun and simple ways that both moms and kids will enjoy. By providing more than forty unique vegetable blends year round at affordable prices, Birds eye continues to be an ally in the dinner time dilemma. 

You know who else knows the dinner time veggie woes? Melissa d' Arabian, celebrity chef, mom of 4 and host of FoodNetwork.com's web series The Picky Eaters Project. Together with Birds Eye, she lends her expertise in getting children to eat more veggies, one bite at a time.



"Try at least two bites," I'll plead and while most days my boys are quick to appease, as their mother I'd love to see them start expanding their palate on their own accord. After all, 9 out 10 veggie eaters in America isn't something to be proud of! That's when I break out the big guns and take to disguising vegetables in some of their favorite dishes.

Take for instance, "Chicken with the Crunchies on Top," or Curried Chicken and Broccoli Casserole. This is a dish that my kids go crazy over and one that they hardly realize is chock full of one of their least favorite veggies, the dreaded broccoli. What's even funnier is that the broccoli isn't even hidden in this dish but thanks to the creamy sauce and crunchy topping, they hardly notice they're scarfing it down. 

You'll Need: 

1 rotisserie chicken, picked clean
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 bags Birds Eye Streamfresh Broccoli Florets
2 tbsp curry powder (more or less to you liking)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup lite mayonnaise 
1 box Stove Top Stuffing (for Chicken)
1/2 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease the bottom of a casserole dish with butter and pour in both bags of steamed and drained broccoli florets. (I will typically only steam these veggies for half the recommended time in order to avoid mushy broccoli later on).  In a separate bowl, mix pulled chicken, soup, curry powder, lemon juice and mayonnaise together. Pour over broccoli. 

Sprinkle Stove Top stuffing evenly over the top of the casserole. Cut butter into 3-4 pats and place in top of casserole. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes. Serve and sit back and watch while your kids devour one of their least favorite veggies. 

Here's to being one of those 9 out of 10! Tell me, what are your tips to conquering a house full of picky eaters?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.