How I Finally Got My Kids To Start Eating Leafy Greens

I love healthy food. Knowing what healthy food is doing for my insides has changed the way I see and taste food. So I can understand when my 3-year-old uses his tongue to remove a vegetable from a spoonful of dinner. Why wouldn't he? Chocolate is a far more attractive option to little ones who see all foods as equal.

I know I'm not alone. I also know that for many children, eating habits are behavioral. While I may get a carrot or two on the plate the thought that my young children might eat a handful of leafy greens was laughable — until now.

Recently I made a green smoothie for myself, and on a whim decided to freeze some in Popsicle molds. I gave the Popsicles to my boys the next day, and was dumbfounded when they gobbled them up and asked for more. Over the coming days I got braver and started including fish oils, kefir and acai berries to the mix.

While hiding foods I openly love and enjoy may not be the best long-term parenting plan, I'm sure anyone with small children can appreciate my joy at watching my kids eating masses of beet greens, albeit unbeknown to them.

Note: Don't mix your greens, and rotate them regularly. Baby leaf spinach is a good starter as it's sweet and doesn't taste too strong. Darker greens work well too, but start off with less. Arugula is not a good idea.

I find blueberries help to disguise the color of the greens, and strawberries help with the taste.

To make my green smoothies I use a high-powered blender. I really recommend the investment, though, because you'll never look back. You can make these in a regular blender, but it might not be as smooth — don't let that put you off.

Here are a few recipes to get you started!

Green Goblin

Directions

Blend on full until smooth, add to molds and freeze

Black Spiderman

Directions

Blend on full until smooth, add to molds and freeze