Getting kids to eat vegetables and a recipe for Confetti Pasta

Confetti Pasta

I have never been of the school of thought that advocates hiding vegetables in children’s food. Not that there’s anything wrong with stirring some pureed spinach into a pot of marina sauce to add some vitamins, but why not serve some vegetables in a more recognizable form along with it? If kids only ever eat vegetables that are hidden in pans of brownies or sauces,  they will never learn to appreciate a crisp asparagus spear or a sweet, crunchy carrot. After all, they will eventually have to eat actual vegetables, so I’d like to give my daughter an appreciation for a variety of vegetables early on in her life. To that end, I always give my daughter a serving of whatever vegetables my husband and I are eating at dinner. Yes, that sometimes means that I end up throwing out a small serving of broccoli. However, even if she doesn’t eat much of it, at least she has had the chance to experience the texture, smell and feel of actual broccoli florets.

That all sounds very preachy, but I am leading up to what hopefully is a helpful hint for other parents trying to get their kids to eat vegetables. I have started stocking up on bags of frozen mixed veggies and have found that there are so many uses for these mixes! Studies have shown that, in some cases, frozen vegetables may actually contain more nutrients than fresh and they are also super convenient to store and prepare. Also, with vegetable mixes, you can easily serve your child a wide variety of vegetables without having to buy and prepare each one separately.  That way, if they end up eating all the corn and leaving the carrots behind, at least you will not have spent a lot of time slicing and steaming those carrots!

There is such a great variety of vegetable mixes available at most stores now.  You can buy stir fry mixes, Italian blends and sweet pepper medleys, just to name a few. Below, I am posting a recipe containing frozen veggies that my daughter has been loving lately and a few other kid-friendly ideas for using frozen mixed vegetables.

Confetti Pasta

Part of the appeal of this recipe lies in the variety of colors and textures represented which is why I recommend using tri-colored pasta; it’s just more fun!  I usually make this whole recipe, even if I’m only making it for my daughter, so that I have leftovers to feed her later in the week. My daughter likes to eat this pasta with some sliced fruit or applesauce on the side.

Makes 2 kids sized servings

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat rotini pasta (preferably tri-color)

1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies (whatever kind your child prefers)

olive oil

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

salt

1.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes for whole-wheat pasta. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies to the pot.

2.  Drain the pasta/veggie mixture and return to the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the pasta and sprinkle it with the parmesan and a pinch of salt; stir well to combine. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Other easy ideas for using frozen mixed veggies:

– Add a handful of frozen vegetables to canned chicken noodle soup when you heat it up.

– Make vegetable “fried” rice:

Place 1 cup of cooked rice in a microwave safe bowl and stir in a handful of frozen veggies. Drizzle this mixture with some soy sauce and sesame oil and           then heat in the microwave until rice and veggies are heated through. I sometimes also add some cooked egg or small tofu cubes to this rice.

– When making couscous, add a handful of frozen veggies along with the couscous to the boiling water or broth.

–  Bean and Veggie Salad:

Heat 1/2 cup frozen veggies in the microwave or a steamer basket until warmed through.  Add a 1/2 cup cooked beans or canned beans, rinsed and                      drained.  Stir in a little lime juice or vinegar, olive oil and salt. Great served with a quesadilla!

I would love to hear any ideas that other parents have for getting kids to eat vegetables, or any healthy, quick meals that you make often for your own children.  I’m always looking for new recipes to try out on my daughter and share with my readers. You can post any ideas in the comments or email me at katie@cookitfresh.com.  Thanks!


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Getting kids to eat vegetables and a recipe for Confetti Pasta

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