The struggle to get my family to eat more veggies is real, especially during the summer when we are constantly on-the-go. One way I make veggies more portable is with these Ranch Veggie Cups.
When it comes to summer, my family is always running around doing something out of the house—summer camp, going to the pool, or visiting family. It’s nice to spend more time with my kids this time of year, but sometimes being out the house so much means less time for me to prep fresh snacks for my family.
As a parent to very picky eaters (my oldest two in particular) veggies aren’t always the most appealing when the competition is something from a brightly colored box.
Recently, Hidden Valley® heard my daughter’s story of how she came to love veggies, and we decided to partner to bring you today’s post and video.
At the age of 2, my daughter decided that all things veggies were all of the sudden not an option to eat. No matter how hard I tried to make veggies appealing, she refused to eat them.
A few years later, we were at a birthday party and the hostess made veggie cups like these. Of course, she didn’t approach the veggies on her own and eat them, but with the help of her friend Casey, she tried them.
Casey is a huge fan of veggies and he basically told her that she was missing out –in a language that only 4 year olds can find persuasive. From that day forward, she began asking for “Casey’s cups” and the fear of colorful foods was gone.
Her brother, my middle son, is a different story. I’ve written a lot about his texture issues and food intolerances, but with all of that comes a real struggle to introduce anything new. And veggies? That’s a difficult texture to get past him.
As parents, we often try anything that will help ease our kid’s resistance of new foods, and for me, Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® is the vessel my middle son needs to try things like streamed green beans, broccoli, and “cold-and-crunchy” foods.
We are slowly making progress, and that’s what is important in my book. I know that he, like his sister, will eventually eat plain veggies and just accept them as part of dinner instead of obsessively picking them out of his food. Baby steps for long-term success.
So back to these veggie cups. Having these veggie dip cups ready in portable containers encourages all of us to eat more of them. Prepping them is a breeze; just take a look at this video.
Pairing the cut up veggies with some Hidden Valley® Original Ranch®, or even some of the tasty new flavors, for dipping works like magic for an extra dose of veggies for the day. You don’t need a lot of ranch dip to make this a successful snack. Just a tablespoon is enough for a cup or more of veggies!
Truthfully, I need all the help I can get to make veggies more appealing to my kids. As moms, we need a little help sometimes, and if a little ranch dressing is going to help establish a habit of eating more fresh veggies, I’m totally ok with that. I have to look at the big picture.
The only work for this recipe is the prep, which is very minimal. I typically make these at the beginning of the week when I get home from the grocery and wash my vegetables prior to storing them in the fridge.
You can make as many as you want at a time. A little prep goes a long way! By having these in the fridge, you’ll have an appealing fresh veggie snack ready!
Do you struggle to get your kids to eat more veggies? What are some of your tricks that have worked well?
PrintRanch Veggie Cups: Easy Snack Idea
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, etc)
- ½ cup Hidden Valley Original Ranch
Instructions
- Wash and chop veggies on a cutting board. To store them vertically, chop them a bit smaller than the storage container.
- Place 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing at the bottom of each cup, and fill each container with about 1 cup of vertically placed veggies.
- Close the lid and refrigerate up to 3 days.
From time to time, I work with awesome companies to develop recipes for this website. Today’s post was brought to you by the makers of Hidden Valley® Original Ranch®. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that encourage my creativity.
Lisa Marz
Yes. I have one that is a struggling eater who eats no veggies. Another, who loves veggies and dip and this is a great way to pack it in his lunch. I also like to sauté veggies, or add bacon or some butter and sour cream. Happy 4th!
Michelle Farnam
Getting my kids to eat their veggies can sometimes be difficult. I have found that adding a dip, ranch, hummus, or greek yogurt makes the veggies more appealing. Plus it’s always fun to dip things and sometimes get a little dirty in the process.
Jennifer
My kids will eat some veggies but not all. I found that if I put a little bit of grass fed butter and some sea salt on them when they’re steamed it helps. Still it’s a challenge to add variety.
Shea
My kiddos are veggie eaters with hummus. My daughter also loves them with Trader Joe’s balsamic glaze.
Kamie Spain
Now that my daughter is almost three, she is getting more selective about what she wants to eat. She will still eat vegetables. However, she’d rather hold out for pancakes or ice cream. We have to stay strong.
★★★★
Donna Whitehead
Getting my kids to eat veggies is hard!!!
Lynann
My son is much better about eating veggies than my daughter. She is nine and still hates all veggies unless she has ranch or cheese dip.
Jayne
Searing them in olive oil till crispy makes green beans yummy! When asked “what is your favorite food ” my little one says “green beans!”