Simple Vegetable Side Dishes Even Picky Eaters Would Love

Getting picky eaters to incorporate healthy ingredients into their diet can be an uphill battle. While you may need to make a lot of effort towards ensuring that your kid eats some broccoli, there are fun ways to get a healthy, balanced meal on the table with the help of these recipes that even the pickiest of eaters will certainly crave for. You could solve the challenge of mealtime dilemma, and along the way, you may even discover your favorite vegetable and make some investments towards eating them in the future.

Here are some vegetable recipes that can win over picky eaters:

Carrots with Dried Cherries

Here’s a sweet treat. Get some tender carrots and toss them with dried cherries, then simmer them in butter and honey. If cherries aren’t available, dried and sweetened cranberries make a tasty and delectable substitute. To make them:

  1. Slice the carrots and boil them for 10 minutes or until tender.
  2. Turn on our gas and heat your saucepan to medium heat.
  3. Melt butter in the pan and add the honey, and stir until dissolved.
  4. Add the cherries and let them simmer in low heat for a minute.
  5. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the carrots to have that sweet and delectable treat.

Old-Fashioned Potato Cakes

A fantastic way to use leftover potatoes, the all-time classic is a sure way to make picky eaters eat their vegetables. Not to mention, it is a surefire investment for a full stomach. To start:

  1. Mix your leftover potatoes with all-purpose flour, onion, egg, salt, and black pepper.
  2. Turn on your gas and heat vegetable oil in a pan.
  3. Scoop the batter that you just made into the pan.
  4. For uniformly sized cakes, use an ice cream scoop to measure the batter.
  5. Cook each side until golden brown or for about five minutes. If the cakes finishing cooking, remove them and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.

Cheesy Kale Chips

Many vegetable chips may taste bland, but these are not one of those. Healthier than a potato chip yet packed with flavor, these kale chips are roasted in the oven and topped with nutritional yeast. Kale chips are a crunchy and addictive snack that’s hard to resist, whether young or old. To start;

  1. Preheat your oven to a certain temperature degree; in this case, it’s 200°F or 95°C.
  2. Then, put your kale in a bowl and drizzle some olive oil. Toss some nutritional yeast and salt to season.
  3. Next, spread the kale onto baking sheets and put them into the oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Flip them occasionally to prevent burnt chips.

After cooking, put them in a bowl, and you can munch them immediately.

Sweet Grilled Corn

Corn is naturally sweet, which makes it a hit with the kids. Plus, they can eat it on the cob, making it a worthwhile experience. Dried herbs, butter, and grated Parmesan add a bit of fun, color, and flavor to this extremely easy-to-do dish. To start;

 

  1. Soak the corn in cold water for one to three hours.
  2. Then, add oil and melted butter in a bowl. Make sure to season with whatever herbs and spices you got like rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, and marjoram. Season with salt and pepper and add in the Parmesan cheese.
  3. Preheat your grill, be it powered by natural wood or gas, to medium heat.
  4. Pat your corn cob dry and spread the butter mixture evenly to the corn.
  5. Put the corn on a square made of aluminum foil.
  6. Grill the cobs until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
  7. Remove them from the heat after cooking and let them rest for a few minutes.

Finally, you can gobble up on a delicious snack that is sweet and flavorful at the same time.

Now that you have these recipes, surely picky eaters won’t hesitate craving on them. For additional tips, here are some:

  • First, keep it fresh. Don’t hesitate to spend some investment money on fresh produce. This ensures that the food that’s cooked will taste great. Furthermore, it ensures that you can get much more consistent results every time.
  • Second, make it fun. What’s the point in enjoying the meals if no one’s in it to make them. To start, encourage your kids or housemates to join in the cooking. Not only will they learn new cooking skills, but they will also be more satisfied with eating the dishes that they made
  • Third, make it quick. It gets boring immediately if you can’t serve up food fast. One way to do so is to prep them beforehand. That way, when the cooking time comes, you can focus on the cooking itself.
  • Fourth, make it tasty. The previous advice will be useless if your food tastes bad. This is more apparent with kids, who tend to have more sensitive taste buds than adults. Disguise the awful taste of some vegetables with a little bit of fat, salt, and seasoning.

Remember, your health and your family’s well-being are your greatest investment. Make sure you’re taking care of both with the help of these recipes. Bon appetit!

Photo sources:
Cover – Pixabay / pastel100
Photo #1 – YouTube / Amy Lynn’s Kitchen 1:12
Photo #2 – Instagram / vegan_seosaimhin
Photo #3 – Instagram / iamcarabrotman
Photo #4 – Pixabay / byrev

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