Four Ways To Make Legumes Appealing To Children

It is a very useful skill for parents to know how to make legumes appealing to children. In this article we will give you some tips.

It is no secret that legumes provide countless health benefits thanks to all the wonderful nutrients, fiber and antioxidants they contain. In fact, they are one of the main ingredients in the Mediterranean diet because they are rich in:

• Iron
• Vitamins
• Carbohydrates
• Fiber
• Protein

Legumes are very useful and good for giving your children the energy and nutrients they need. You can also cook them in so many different ways! It is up to you whether you want to eat them fresh, dried, cooked or fried.

From a nutritional point of view, fresh legumes are the best, but culinary wise, dried legumes are the most useful.

It is recommended that parents start including legumes in their children’s diets after they are 10 months old. After the first year, children can eat all kinds of legumes, two or three times a week.

When your children discover what foods they actually like, it becomes all the more difficult to introduce new foods into their diet. Legumes, despite being so useful and nutritious, do not always appeal to children. Here are some recommendations to help you persuade them:

Four ways to make legumes appealing to children

Legumes in soup

Soups are often very popular with children. You can slowly but surely start adding legumes to your kids’ soups and see what they think of them.

When lentils and peas are cooked, and perhaps a little mashed, it is much easier to mix them into soups, stews and even sauces. They add more flavor, give a thicker texture and enrich the dish thanks to all its nutrients.

2. As an accessory

Chickpea hummus is a well-known accessory that most people like. You can use it with olives, artichokes, fried red peppers or carrots. It is perfect to spread on toast.

Other sauces can be prepared with other beans and herbs in addition to hummus. In Latin America, a puree of black and red beans is popular. They serve this puree as an accompaniment along with main courses such as burritos and enchiladas.

Make legumes appealing to children in pasta dishes

A classic Italian dish called ” Pasta e Fagioli ” is a simple pasta recipe that contains white beans. Italian food in general can also help children begin to love legumes.

Another good example is pasta with pesto sauce. They will especially love it if you sprinkle parmesan cheese on top!

Finally, you can add legumes to pasta salads, which is a really fun way for kids to experiment with new flavors and textures.

4. In meatballs or burgers

Meatballs are very popular with children. You can replace all or part of the meat with lentils, dried beans or a combination of both if you wish.

Another option for incorporating legumes into your children’s diets is Lebanese falafel. They are basically pretty simple little buns made from chickpeas, which you can either fry or bake in the oven – plus they are really good!

You can also add legumes in different sauces or have them on burgers. For example, instead of making a burger with a meat burger, you make a homemade burger out of lentils or black beans. We are sure that your children will like it!

Some more tips

Pay attention to the texture

Many children can not with the sticky consistency that some beans have. You get a better consistency if you use dry beans instead of canned ones. It is also a good idea to soak them the night before you cook them.

Let your children participate in the cooking

When the children are involved in the preparation of their own meals, they become more interested in and positive about tasting the final result. Shopping for food with your children makes them feel included and they will give you their opinion on the food they want to eat.

use your imagination

We encourage you to be creative and use your imagination to get your children to eat more legumes. After all, you’re their parent, and you know better than anyone else what they like and do not.

Finally, it’s about making the presentation of the dishes more fun and attractive, so that your children feel tempted to eat them. Do not be afraid to stimulate all your children’s senses so that they feel more like trying new foods.

It is possible that they will reject them at once because they are used to the food they already know. The important thing, however, is not to give up. Sooner or later, your children will start to enjoy exploring new flavors and foods.