I've had a little success in this area, mostly by setting clear rewards for their attempts at trying new things. I mostly don't make a big deal out of the new food and I hardly ever call it -- at first -- by its real name.
I'll provide this example, since it leads to the very easy gluten free vegetable recipe that follows. One night recently, I served dinner to my kids, burgers and potatoes, and then I sat down with the same food plus a small pile of cooked spinach. My oldest quickly asked, what is that? Without missing a beat, I said, It's spicy spinach. I kept eating.
A minute later, she said, Can I try some? I gave her a small bite from my fork. She asked for more. Then, I asked if she wanted some on her plate. She did. Bingo!
I know, this approach doesn't always work. But, it does sometimes.
And, I've learned to use what's given to me as an advantage. My kids love spicy food. So, I make a lot of spicy things.
And so, here is my quick recipe for spicy spinach - a tasty gluten free vegetable recipe. And, it'd be very easy to modify to your individual taste.
Ingredients
- 1 bag of fresh spinach (8 oz bag)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano
- 1 tsp oil (I use olive oil)
Wash the spinach and let dry or pat dry. Heat a tsp of oil in pan over low heat.
Mix the dry spices in a small bowl.
Add the spinach to the pan and let it heat for a couple of minutes. Then, add the spice mix over top and gently stir to mix the seasoning into the leaves.
Let this cook to your desired texture preference. Then, spoon into a serving bowl and eat!
Very simple. Very tasty. Very healthy.
