How do I get my kids to eat their spinach?

Is it a fight at your house?

Or do your kids eat spinach like Popeye?

Spinach: the super food!

Spinach is one of those super foods we all know is good for us, but getting most kids (and adults - let's be honest!) to eat it can be difficult!

One piece of advice for moms-to-be: eat a lot while you are pregnant** and breastfeeding and when you start your little one on solid foods, start with vegetables! This will help the taste be familiar and your child will accept it much more readily.

**Bonus - spinach contains folate, which you need for the optimum development of your sweet baby!

We need to eat greens both raw and cooked every day for the nutrients they contain. When served on a regular basis, kids and adults will get used to them and learn to enjoy them.

Pro parenting tip: serve vegetables first - this has helped our kids learn to eat just about everything - although it can be a process. Set the healthy expectation that everyone eats the same thing and vegetables are required!

One of my favorite ways to get spinach in our diet is to put it in smoothies! These are total kid pleasers! One of our "rules" is that a handful of spinach goes into every recipe. I use a Vitamix blender - it will blend just about anything super smooth!

Have Picky Eaters? Grab this guide: 7 Strategies to Help Picky Eaters Eat!

Here are a few of our morning pleasers.

Mango

1 handful of spinach

2 cups frozen mango

2 bananas (freckled)

1 peach

1/2 lemon - juiced

2-3 cups water/non dairy milk

3 drops cinnamon bark essential oil

Mixed berry

1 handful of spinach

2 cups frozen mixed berries

2 bananas (freckled)

1/2 carrot

1/2 lemon - juiced

2-3 cups water/non dairy milk

3 drops tangerine essential oil

Strawberry

1 handful of spinach

2 cups frozen strawberries

2 bananas (freckled)

1/2 lemon - juiced

1 apple

2-3 cups water/non dairy milk

3 drops lemon essential oil

This one is not sweet

Spinach/Kale

1-2 handfuls of spinach

1-2 handfuls of kale (spines taken out)

1 cucumber - skin scrubbed, but not peeled

1 thumbnail sized piece of fresh ginger

1 lime- juiced

1-2 drops ginger essential oil

1-2 drops lime essential oil

(This can also be juiced - if you prefer - add the essential oils at the end)

Use leftovers to fill popsicle molds for later - my kids go through these so fast! (I would recommend the Spinach/Kale smoothie to be consumed as a liquid.)

You may have noticed I use freckled bananas to sweeten them. Hard green bananas will not have the same effect.

If you are looking to transition gradually - sweeten the smoothies at first or add yogurt. Little by little lessen the amounts of those ingredients as your taste adjusts (and it will!).

Looking for additional reading material?

Super Foods Rx, By Steven Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews is fantastic!

Eat to Live-audio / Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is excellent!

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