Veggie Loaded Cottage Pie (with 10 Veggies) – A recipe for Fussy Kids
Ok hands up who has a problem with fussy children eating their veggies? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Did you know that in Ireland, the UK and the US, only 1 in 4 children eat the right amounts of vegetables every day! Just to put that into perspective in Ireland there are 880,000 children under the age of 12 which means 660,000 children don’t eat the right amount of vegetables every day. See, I told you that you are not alone! The upside is, vegetable recipes are super easy once you get used to making them.
When 5 a Day actually becomes 1!
The recommendation is that we are all supposed to be eating at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruit every day, and this is actually now thought to be closer to 7! So many children are struggling to even get 1 portion for veggies every day let alone 7 and this is a reality for so many parents. However, it is totally fixable, I promise!
How to get your kids eating vegetables
- You must eat vegetables too! That’s right Mums and Dads! If your little child sees you eating vegetables at every meal, they will be more inclined to eat them too! Everyone eats the same dinner!
- Pack the veggies in where possible This dish is packed full of vegetables in a yummy sauce (which kids love) and topped with crispy potato. I loaded it with 10 different vegetables too so every single bite contains goodness. The vegetables also break down slightly in the cooking too which makes it super easy for little mouths to manage and great for picky eaters!
- Only cook ONE dinner! If you are looking at this recipe thinking ‘not a chance will my child eat that’, think again. This is dinner. You took the time out of your day to make this dinner and you are not going to make another dinner. This is what is on offer end of story! If your child is hungry they will eat, albeit eventually. This means no toast, yogurt before bed or bribery! Take a deep, deep breath! It will get easier I promise!
- Encourage ONE bite! Encourage your child to eat one little bite. This can take time and a lot of patience, but I have turned my 12 year asparagus hating son, into an asparagus lover by just doing this alone. It doesn’t matter how old the child, it works (and is even good on Daddy too).
Note: if your child is losing weight, or doesn’t care if they don’t eat anything for days on end and you feel the problem is getting worse, it is time to seek the help of a dietitian.
Finally, to the recipe! I am a huge fan of cottage pie and when it’s loaded up with veggies, I feel super good about feeding it to my kids. This vegetable recipe is such a comfort food and is definitely one for a double dinner. The recipe makes a large portion that is enough for a freezer dinner too.
It is also really inexpensive to make too! The majority of the ingredients are from the Dunnes Stores Everyday Savers Range – kale, spinach, courgette, onions, tin of tomatoes, mushrooms, peas and all are €1 or less! Even the beef was part of the range and only cost €3 which is amazing for good quality Irish meat.
More Irish Vegetable Recipes for Fussy Eaters
I would love to hear how you are getting your children eating more vegetables. Let me know in the comments below 🙂
If you are looking for more recipes for fussy eaters then this blog post has some brilliant ideas! Ultimate 25 recipes to get children eating more vegetables.
I really can’t wait for you to try this recipe and if you do don’t forget to tag #babyledfeeding. Any comments and feedback would be amazing too!
Aileen xoxoxo