Parents ponder the stigma of feeding kids 'hidden vegetables': 'I don't really like plain steamed vegetables either'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 23, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

Trying to get your kids to eat healthily is probably one of the most common issues that responsible parents face. Given the choice between pizza or a salad, we know what most children (and let's be honest, adults) are going to choose. For all their nutritional weight, vegetables have long been the public enemy number 1 when it comes to the diets of kids. It leaves many moms and dads wondering how to get them on their plate in way that isn't going to involve a showdown at the dinner table.

One way of doing this is 'hiding' vegetables, i.e. blending them into sauces or preparing them in non-traditional ways so they don't look so green and healthy. Twitter recently discussed the benefits of this, with many claiming that it didn't matter what package the nutrients came in. Almost everything is better with some decent seasoning, that's for sure.

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    via George Dagerotip

    Photo does not feature real subjects in the story

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    bovine chiropractor @marrowing Follow most of the "hidden vegetables" recipes for getting kids to eat veggies just seem like... ways to make them nice?? I don't really like plain steamed vegetables either, why do I need kids to be eating them
    via marrowing
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    bovine chiropractor @marrowing. 3d Replying to @marrowing "baby nutrition experts" and assorted other charlatans are like "if you CUT UP veggies and put SAUCE on them your kid will have MENTAL ILLNESS" and its like.... no they won't. shut the
    via marrowing
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    Robin Typhina Rex @TyphinaRex Replying to @marrowing Follow a pediatric dietician gave me a document about giving more veggies to kids and it was basically two pages of "put butter and cheese and sauce on them"
    via TyphinaRex
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    Belindasmilne @belindasmilne .3d Replying to @marrowing Put your sofrito veg in a blender or in one of those string pull thingies and chop it up as small as you can and then add it to your spag bol. It makes it taste better and you don't get huge wacks of carrot popping up and spoiling your meal.
    via belindasmilne
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    StarSpotter @le75950 2d Replying to @marrowing I live in a very health conscious city (Cape Town) and it's very normal for our young kids to happily eat their steamed brocolli without sauces, butter or cheese, simply because everyone does it without pulling up their noses. They see parents and peers do it. It's normalized. 14 174 189 ili 32.5K ☐ ∞ . bovine chiropractor @marrowing ⚫ 2d sounds awful!
    via le75950
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    Fayth @rootfayth - 2d Replying to @marrowing plained steamed vegetables are great, sue me
    via rootfayth
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    . Dr. Syed Haider @DrSyed Haider 2d Replying to @marrowing Cooking vegetables is simple. Just add butter. If it still doesn't taste good, add more butter.
    via DrSyedHaider
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    chas@scabellumpedum .3d Replying to @marrowing plain steamed vegetables are very low in calories. kids need calories. cheese has calories
    via scabellumpedum
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    milly lunster @millylunster 3d Replying to @marrowing All vegetables are hidden for babies because they don't even know what they're eating
    via millylunster
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    Lady Calexi @Lady_Liddell .3d Replying to @marrowing Literally the problem with veggies and why so many people say they is because somehow we made it normal to cook them all in the worst way possible. (Plain, steamed)
    via Lady_Liddell
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    Morgan Byrd @Morganbored • 3d Replying to @marrowing why do we deny the children salt and pepper
    via Morganbored
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    Jake Conner @jake_jmc20985-3d Replying to @marrowing My theory about many (not all) picky eaters is that their parents cannot cook
    via jake_jmc20985
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    ENQUE . Ms igfbss aus @igfbss • 3d Replying to @marrowing My kids from a young age preferred fresh veg to cooked. Frozen peas preferred to cooked, as far as I was concerned I didn't care they ate vegetables. Stir fries were very popular too. Crunchy with flavour!
    via igfbss
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    georgia @georgetweets2u 3d Replying to @marrowing Right? I will not touch a steamed vegetable. Ew. Why should I expect my toddler to? In fact, his diet is predominantly Indian food because that is his ultimate favourite.
    via georgetweets2u
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    THE Mr Brightside @shesanothergirl.2d This ties into the discourse that salsa (etc) "doesn't count" as eating vegetables. Like bffr. NO ONE wants to eat plain steamed veggies and you STILL GET THE NUTRIENTS even if you add sauces/seasonings!
    via shesanothergirl
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    LaLa @LaladiesIlla ⚫ 2d • Please as an Asian I'm begging you, stop overcooking your broccoli to the point you can make mash with it. Just lightly boil your broccoli with some salt, add a little bit of abalone sauce if it still too plain for you. Or stir fry with garlic, salt and white pepper.
    via LaladiesIlla
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    2 Skeletons in a Trench... @themichaelest Follow Steaming/boiling vegetables is a pretty funny practice. It was largely popularized because fats were being rationed during WWI and then somewhere along the line people started thinking it was healthier so we just never stopped doing it. It's a godawful way to cook veggies.
    via themichaelest
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    LILT greensponreads @needmoarcoffee1 ⚫2d: There is no moral value in eating plain vegetables, or any type of food. Add seasoning! Put them in other things! Make them taste good! I will die on this hill!
    via needmoarcoffee1

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