Ideas for Adding More Spinach into Our Kiddos’ Diets

Maybe it’s not too surprising that often the hardest things to feed our kids are the things that are the very best for them.  But if we find ways to incorporate them (hide them?) into recipes, over time their taste buds will catch on!

One thing I try to include in my kiddos’ diet is spinach.  I think spinach is one of the easier leafy greens to work into recipes, and it (like other dark green foods) is an amazing source of chlorophyll (see my prior post about the health benefits of chlorophyll and its immune-boosting benefits here!), and carotenoids (beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin), all phytochemicals with impressive anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.  Spinach is also so full of water that you can pack a ton of it into any recipe and it shrinks down to a really manageable amount.    

So, let’s serve up some spinach!  Here are a few easy ways to incorporate spinach into any meal.

1.  Smoothies

This is definitely not a revolutionary idea, and you’ve probably made many of them, but making a smoothie packed with antioxidants is a wonderful way to start off the day, for us and our kids.  While we as parents may be more open to totally green smoothies, if we want to make them not just palatable but delicious for the littles, there’s no shame in making a smoothie with 90% fruit and 10% spinach.  After all, fruit is amazing too!  Try (1) one cup frozen mixed berries, (2) ¼ cup frozen sweet cherries, (3) one ripe banana, (4) one packet of frozen dragonfruit (or fresh, but it’s often hard to find!), (5) a couple tablespoons of a superfood green powder, and (6) as much spinach as you can pack in!  Serious yum.  And the perfect supplement to the cereal, toast and english muffins we often serve up for breakfast!

2.  Dice it into everything!

With spinach, I take the same approach I take with flaxmeal: sprinkle into as many dishes as possible! Some really easy things to add spinach to that will likely not even be noticed by the pickiest eater are: (1) quesadillas; (2) homemade pizzas; and (3) marinara sauce.  These comfy classics don’t have to be unhealthy.  Pack diced veggies and spinach into your quesadillas, make pizzas into a plate of veggies, and add low-sodium marinara with diced spinach and mushrooms over some legume pasta, and you’ve got some super easy, nutrient-dense lunch and dinner options.  I’ll never forget when Carter came home from school and said in dismay and disbelief that the quesadillas they served for snack at school had no veggies and could I even believe that?! Sheesh!  Mom score.

3.  Get creative with worldly cuisines

Unfortunately, and maybe some disagree with me, but I don’t think America is necessarily known for its healthy cuisine.  Our big contribution to the world in terms of food seems to be erecting McDonalds in almost every country.  Yay us!  So, if we’re looking for cuisine that’s a bit finer, and a whole lot healthier, we should probably look to countries with long traditions of healthy, natural, balanced approaches to cooking.  I personally love Indian food, not only for its incredible use of a wide variety of delicious and therapeutic spices, but also because of how easy it is to incorporate loads of veggies into every dish.  One recipe that has been a major hit in our house is a vegan Palak Paneer.  Palak Paneer is typically made with cubes of cheese and a spinach sauce, but this recipe subs in tofu, and it’s delicious.  And to make the sauce, you need at least two cups of packed spinach.  I’ve included a picture of the full recipe below, and would recommend the entire cookbook, Eat Feel Fresh.  My kids give this recipe two thumbs way up, and maybe yours will too!   

4.  Don’t underestimate sautéed spinach!

I love sautéed spinach, but just kind of assumed my kids would wrinkle their noses at it.  I was elated when my littlest not only tried it, but announced that she LOVED it, and asked me to make more.  I think the key was the veggie broth and balsamic vinegar.  If you sauté the spinach in a bit of low-sodium veggie broth, it automatically lends a nice flavor.  Add in a sprinkle of salt, pepper and garlic, and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and you have a slightly savory, slightly sweet result that I think little taste buds will tend to like more than the traditional, more bitter sautéed spinach you may find in a restaurant.  Not all kids will love it, but worth a try!  After all, you can sauté a full cup of packed spinach into one small serving!

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We don’t have to give up when it comes to incorporating foods like spinach into our kids’ diets.  And instead of hiding it, if we can remove the stigma around these foods from a super young age, our kids won’t grow up thinking brussels are the worst and spinach is only for adults.  Even better, if we can get our kids involved in the cooking process, lending their opinions and help, they’ll be much more excited about the result!  So, channel your inner Popeye and dish up that spinach!