Fun ways to add vegetables to the menu
Simple ideas can make eating vegetables fun for children!
Vegetables are delicious, healthy and easy to prepare
Eating a wide range of vegetables can provide children with important energy, protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre to help them grow and thrive.
Try these creative ideas to encourage children in your service to eat more vegetables each day:
Include at least two different vegetables each day, and at least five different types of vegetables each week.
Aim to use vegetables when they are in season when they are cheaper, and tastier! This also adds variety to your menu across the seasons.
Providing a variety of vegetables helps children learn to enjoy new foods. It also ensures they get a range of nutrients from different colour vegetables.
Did you know legumes count as vegetables?
Whether they are dried, canned or cooked, legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans provide fibre, protein and other essential nutrients for children.
Homemade cuppa soup
Serve small portions in cups. For fun, try ‘Pumped up pumpkin’ or ‘Shrek soup’ (broccoli and cannellini bean soup).
Super salads
Toss chopped fresh vegetables to make a garden salad, or combine roasted veggies to make a warm roast veggie salad.
Veggie slice
Mix grated vegetables (e.g. zucchini) with chopped onion, cheese, flour and eggs and bake in a moderate oven until golden brown.
Veggie side dishes
Offer a bowl of colourful veggies with main meals and encourage kids to help themselves at the table. Corn on the cob or corn cobettes are a favourite.
Stuffed spuds
Cook small potatoes, cut the tops off and scoop out some potato. Fill with creamed corn, salsa, coleslaw or baked beans.
Veggie side dishes
Offer a bowl of colourful veggies with main meals and encourage kids to help themselves at the table. OR offer some corn on the cob or corn cobettes.
Veggie pita pockets
Encourage kids to fill pita pockets with their choice of vegetables and dips.
Baked beans on toast
Baked beans topped with grated cheese in a bread toast.
Recipe
Snacks
Party platter
Cut vegetables such as tomato, red capsicum, cucumber, steamed carrot and serve with dips. You can also include fruit, cheese and lean cold meats.
Veggie crackers
Top wholemeal crispbread, corn thins or rice crackers with cottage cheese and your choice of avocado, lettuce, tomato or cucumber.
Veggie chips
Make sweet, crunchy chips by slicing carrot, zucchini, potato and sweet potato, spraying with olive oil and baking until golden.
Veggie muffins
Try any of these combinations: pumpkin and zucchini, carrot and sultana, cheese and corn, pumpkin and date, sweet potato, zucchini and poppy seed.
Find more vegetable recipes here.
For more information please phone 1300 22 52 88 or email heas@nnf.org.au
Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this document show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This document may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation. Copyright © State of Victoria 2016
Written and reviewed by dietitians and nutritionists at National Nutrition Foundation, with support from the Victorian Government.
Want to assess your menu?
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past and present.
The Healthy Eating Advisory Service is delivered by experienced nutritionists and dietitians at National Nutrition Foundation, with support from the Victorian Government.
Register your interest
"*" indicates required fields
