Ways to up the raw veg

There is so much evidence telling us how great vegetables are for us and how we need to be eating more of them, but it’s not always that easy to do! Using raw veggies can be a quick and tasty way to get your kids to eat more vegetables. Here are some ideas:

Keep them handy

Chop up raw peppers and carrot, keep these in a sealed bag or sealed jar with a little water in the fridge, this way you can grab them for a fast snack or add to lunchboxes.

Offer before tea

After school but before tea can be a time when kids are continuously hungry. Try leaving a platter of raw veg for them to nibble on at snack time – you could think of it as the starter to their meal.

Serve with a dip

It can be tasty and fun to have a dip for those veggies. Hummus, guacamole or a frozen pea and mint dip can be simple, cheap and add another veg portion too.

Be unconventional

Most people stick with carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and perhaps peppers, which will get repetitive after a while. There are so many other options. Try raw broccoli and cauliflower, sugar snap peas, mange tout, baby corn, celery, and mushrooms. You may find your family prefers some veg raw to cooked!

Cut them in different ways

Try offering those veggies in different shapes. If you always cut carrots into rounds, try a stick or just peel and let them have the whole carrot.

No need to waste it

If those raw veggies don’t get eaten then you can always add them to the next meal that you cook, so they don’t need to be wasted.