Kids & Vegetables: It’s a Common Problem with a Simple Solution
It’s the question parents are always asking – and the one they still never seem to be able to find the answer to. It is the elusive question that actually has a surprisingly simple answer.
The answer is that we have to look beyond ordinary, generic responses. The answer is even that there is no one right answer. In short, to discover the solution we must delve just a bit into human psychology, acknowledge that no two people are the same, and inevitably come back with knowledge in many more areas than just this one.
Get to Know Your Child
That seems silly, right? You already know your child, inside and out. And you do – but what you may not realise is just how different children can be when it comes to food. Every child reacts to food differently. Every child thinks about food differently. So encouraging children to eat right will be very different for you than, say, your best friend who is also trying to do the same with her child.
You need to realise this, and you need to pay close attention to your child and the food they eat – as well as what they don’t eat. Ask them questions, talk to them, and just continue educating yourself until you know enough about your child to be able to come up with a personalised solution that will work.
Be Around Vegetables
This is extremely important – your child needs to be around the types of food that you want them to eat (even if they are not eating it). Even if your child is talking about how gross a certain vegetable is, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be sitting right next to them eating it yourself.
Children shouldn’t be around unhealthy foods constantly – this leads them to grow comfortable with that type of eating. You want them to become comfortable with a type of eating that is actually healthy.
How You Serve Matters
Figure out how your child likes to eat vegetables. For example, if you only ever give them vegetables cooked a certain way, this could be the reason they aren’t eating them.
So, can you cook the vegetables another way? Can you serve them raw? Can you add something to them, for some extra flavour?
Even cutting the in different shapes, arranging the on the plate differently … it all helps.
Make Something Different!
Learn about some healthy dinners you can make that incorporate vegetables. Add vegetables to something that you may have otherwise made without them. For example, mix vegetables with beans, quinoa, and olive oil. You can add other ingredients as well to flavour the dish: experiment and find out what your child likes best!