Getting children to eat vegetables is a daily struggle for many parents: the child turns away at the sight of greens or picks them out. Bangla Tribune's lifestyle page suggests making the food itself appealing, keeping the shape, colour and taste of favourite dishes and mixing the vegetables in so the child hardly notices.

Beet and carrot cutlets: mix grated beetroot and carrot into boiled potato. Add a little salt, chopped green chilli, coriander leaves and roasted spices, and bind with a little biscuit crumb. Shape into small cutlets and shallow-fry on a griddle until golden on both sides. Serve with sauce for tiffin or an afternoon snack.

Red amaranth paratha: steam red amaranth leaves, drain well and grind them. Knead flour with the greens, a little salt and enough water into a soft dough and rest it covered. For the filling, mix grated paneer with coriander leaves, roasted spices and a little salt. Fill the dough balls, roll them out and cook on a griddle with a little oil. The colour catches a child's eye.

Vegetable omelette: grate carrot, cabbage and onion very finely. Beat eggs and mix in the vegetables with a little salt and pepper. Cook in a pan with a little oil on both sides, cut into small pieces and serve with cucumber or another favourite food.

Besides hiding vegetables in favourite foods, it helps to put a variety of vegetables in everyday meals. If a child rejects a new dish the first time, do not force it; try serving it another way at another time.

Photo: Biswarup Ganguly / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Source: Bangla Tribune