Need a way to help your family eat more vegetables? These veggie cups are a fun option for kids and make getting your daily dose of vegetables easy!
Pack them with your favorite dipping sauce and watch them disappear from the fridge.
A little backstory on this snack recipe: at the age of 2, my daughter decided that all things veggies were no longer an option. No matter how hard I tried to make veggies appealing, she refused to eat them.
A few years later, these veggie cups made an appearance at a birthday party, and with some encouragement from her friend, Casey, she grabbed a veggie, took a bite, and liked ‘colorful’ foods again.
For a while, she called these snack cups “Casey’s cups” and asked for them frequently.
Veggie Snack Cups
Veggie cups are a great snack that’s fun and convenient to eat. You can prep them with an assortment of vegetables and stash them in the fridge for school lunches or veggie snacks to munch on while at the office.
If your kids (or you) aren’t a fan of raw vegetables, try giving them a quick steam in the microwave before assembling the cups. This works great with carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and can even enhance their flavor with the dip.
What to Put in a Veggie Cup
Usually, I prep this snack with ranch dressing, baby carrots, and celery, but you can customize these veggie cups with any of your favorite dips and vegetables. Grab a few ideas in the list below:
- homemade ranch dressing
- homemade hummus
- red pepper hummus
- baby carrots
- celery sticks
- cherry/grape tomatoes
- broccoli
- sliced bell peppers
- sugar snap peas
- asparagus
Want more delicious recipes to include in your snack routine? Check out the Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet.
It’s filled with creative and tasty snacks you’ll want to make again and again!
How to Assemble Veggie Cups
Here’s how to assemble your own veggie cups step-by-step:
- Add the dip
Add your choice of dip or sauce to the bottom of a 6 to 8-ounce storage cup; 2 tablespoons should do the trick. - Add the veggies
Place the veggies, standing up, into the dip. - Seal
Top with lid and seal. - Save for later
Once prepped, these veggie cups will stay good for up to 3 days.
You can also watch how to put these snack cups together in the video below:
More Ways to Get Kids to Eat Veggies
I have plenty of healthy meals ideas your picky eater will eat and ask you to make on repeat! Each recipe is a kid-favorite option recreated with better ingredients and hidden veggies to bump up the nutrition.
- Blueberry Smoothie – with invisible spinach!
- Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
- Zucchini Pizzas
- All Meat & Veggie Chili
- Broccoli Nuggets
Easy Veggie Cups with Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 ribs celery, sliced into sticks
- 4 ribs carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks
- ½ – 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Place 1-2 tablespoons of ranch dressing at the bottom of each cup, and fill each container with 1 cup of sliced veggies.
- Close the lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
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Kristy says
My girls are 1 and 3. I have one kid that won’t eat fruit and the other that loves it and not as keen on veggies. I try to hide it things like muffins, pancakes, etc while at the same time offering it. I may put broccoli in cheesy rice or mix it with a pasta and sauce. I figure they will eventually come around. Just keep trying.
kelia says
i’ve got one who won’t eat anything green or vegetable related I mean will literally gag. what kid doesn’t like corn on the cob? my kid buckets of tears! we’ve tried ranch cheese brown sugar cinnamon nothing he is just not a fan.
Jenny R. says
My two year old eats almost everything, so for him it’s not a struggle at all, but my husband and my 9 year old are not veggie fans. My 9 year old loves mixed veggies though, so anytime I have the chance, I’ll go with that option, otherwise, I can usually sneak some into food if I chop it up very finely. Also, there’s no spinach in that pasta, it’s just basil! *wink wink*
Polly says
Talk about struggles! My tween just informed me he no longer likes carrot sticks OR tomatoes, the only veg I could stuff in his lunch!! But one day I was eating a store bought wrap filled w/ lettuce and other meat. He wanted to try it. Since he was GF I told him I’d make him one just like it at home… So now at least I can sneak in spinach and lettuce! But when I tried peppers, he immediately pulled them out! Too bad! He loves ranch dressing and mustard too
Jeri R says
Using veggies to make funny faces or designs helps encourage my son but the best thing that makes my son eat them (at least for the time being) is telling him how strong eating them will make him! My husband will arm wrestle him before he eats his veggies and of course husband wins; they will arm wrestle again after eating veggies and son wins! My daughter is a different story – very limited in the variety of veggies she eats and she’s stubborn so isn’t easily convinced.