How to Make Your Children Love Vegetables

October 24, 2018

Are you tired of fighting with your children to get them to eat their vegetables? If you said yes, then you may be relieved to hear that there are ways to make your children love vegetables. Read below to find out how.

1. Mix vegetables into food - If your children are super stubborn about eating their vegetables, try hiding them in foods, such as lasagna, or make them a vegetable-based smoothie for a different texture.
2. Expose your children multiple times to each vegetable - Many children need multiple exposures to learn to like a certain food. Encourage your children to try just one bite every time the vegetable pops up on the dinner plate. Also, keep in mind that your children’s taste buds are ever-changing and a vegetable they didn’t like last month may be satisfying to their taste buds this month.
3. Add extra flavoring or dips - Before you argue that extra flavoring, seasoning, and dips are unnecessary calories, consider this: would you rather your children eat vegetables with some extra calories or not eat vegetables at all? Remember, children have naturally high metabolisms and can afford, and may even need, the extra calories. Besides, you can always make healthier dips yourself. You won’t believe how much a great dip can encourage children to gobble up all of their vegetables!
4. Let your children pick their own vegetables - Many children like to have control over what they eat, so allowing them to pick or prepare vegetables for meals may increase the likelihood they eat them. For example, take your children to a farmer’s market to pick fresh vegetables or let them help you prepare the vegetables in the kitchen.
5. Pair vegetables with other equally healthy food - If you put broccoli, chicken nuggets, and fries on your children’s plates, which foods will they definitely eat? Most children will opt for the chicken nuggets and fries first. The problem with this is that your children are then too full to eat their broccoli. Provide equally-healthy foods at mealtimes. Your children will be more likely to eat their vegetables when there aren’t more appealing foods on their plate.
6. Make eating vegetables fun - Make eating vegetables fun for your children by associating them with fun experiences. For example, have your children pretend to be a bunny looking for as many carrots as he can. Whoever eats the most is the strongest bunny in town! Or pretend broccoli are trees and your children are giants who have to eat all the trees for food. Think of your own ways to add a fun spin to eating vegetables.

As you can see, there are many ways you can use to make your children love to eat vegetables. Stop fighting with your children to force them to eat their vegetables. Instead, try one or a combination of the methods above to see what works best for your children. Who knows, your kids may actually learn to love vegetables. Now imagine that!

 

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References

Ferdman, Robert. Researchers Have Found a Simple Way to Get Kids to Eat More Veggies. September 2015. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/09/29/researchers-have-found-a-simple-way-to-get-kids-to-eat-more-veggies/?utm_term=.9d3cebc8b4a1

 

Rose, Darya. 11 Proven Ways to Get Kids to Eat More Vegetables. Summer Tomato. June 2013. http://www.summertomato.com/11-proven-ways-to-get-kids-to-eat-more-vegetables

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