Balsamic Ratatouille with Feta (vegetarian)

One of the most common questions I get asked is “How can I get X to eat more vegetables?”

And it’s not just children that we are talking about.

It surprises me sometimes that there are just as many fussy adult eaters walking around who have a long list of vegetables they won’t eat.

Most of us are aware that it’s good to aim for 5 serves of veggies a day and yet most of us are probably falling far short of that benchmark.

It seems like a lot doesn’t it?

As a parent of small children, it can feel overwhelming and disheartening when 6 nights out of 7, the dinner plate is pushed away by fussy eaters as they say ‘yuck’ to the array of colours and textures on their plate.

In our family, we have had the meat and carbs lover who had broccoli put on his plate every night for about 4 years until one day he just ate it without a fight.

We have had the ‘everything needs to be separate’ child, who won’t eat casseroles, soups, sauces or anything that is mixed.

We have had the raw veggies stage, where nothing was allowed to be in a cooked state and we have had the many, many nights where kids have gone to bed hungry because they have refused to eat anything put in front of them.

Sound familiar?

Well, things are definately getting easier as they get older and if I can offer encouragement to mums of young fussy eaters, then this is what I would say:

1. Persevere – nothing about raising kids is easy. They come into the world knowing nothing and bit by bit, it’s our job to guide, instruct, teach and model how to live. This includes how to care for our bodies and how to eat well. It’s not for the faint-hearted, so be kind to yourself. Leave mother guilt at the door and just keep on at it.

2. Variety is the spice of life – if you are stuck in a rut of what is on offer in your house, that’s okay. Go for small changes, like aiming to try one new recipe a month. Next time you walk through the fruit and veggie store, make yourself buy one vegetable you’ve never bought before and go home and google what to do with it!

3. Partner the new with the old – if your child loves sausages, and you are wanting to try a new vegetable, offer both at the same meal. They will sit to eat what they know and love and then chat about trying a mouthful of something new at the same time.

4. Never say Never – kids tastes change over time, as do ours. Just because they wouldn’t eat avocado at 3 doesn’t mean you never try again. By the time they are 5, they might be ready to give it another try.

5. Try a new method of cooking the same old vegetable – everyone gets tired of the same old thing over and over again eventually. If you only ever boil carrots, try roasting them instead? If you only ever steam cabbage, keep it raw and use each leaf as a wrap for some mince?

6. See Tip 1 again – Persevere. A bit like most things in life of any value, it takes time and effort and isn’t always easy. Hang in there.

Ratatouille, is not just a PIXAR movie that kids love, but it’s a french provincial dish of mixed stewed vegetables. It’s a perfect winter dish and only requires some chopping on your part, the oven does the rest of the work for you.

If you use the recipe below as a side dish, you will probably get 2 meals out of it. It freezes really well, just freeze without the cheese added at the end.

I can eat a big steaming bowl of this on it’s own for dinner, maybe with a piece of toasted sourdough. It will serve approx 4 if you make it a meal in itself.