For some reason, most children have a pretty big aversion to eating vegetables, and it can't be the taste because they can be made taste great! We all know how good they are for us and how important it is to get our kids eating them so here are seven simple tips for getting your children to love eating their greens.
Eat them yourself
Eating the vegetables that you would like your child to eat is probably one of the most important ways of getting them even to try them in the first place. If you really don't like the veg that you want them to eat, try introducing that particular veggie when you are around someone who does like it and try not to make a big deal out of it, keep it genuine, though this is where some acting skills may come in handy.
Keep going with it
If your child tries a vegetable and then tells you that they don't like it, do not rule it out. It may not be the taste that they don't like, but rather the texture or smell. Keep going with it and continue to put it on their plate whenever you are having that particular veggie for dinner, and If they insist that they really do not like it after numerous attempts, leave it for while, and then try it again, possibly in a different shape or guise.
Let them help you cook
Get the kids involved in the cooking process. This may not be feasible for every day of the week, but try for at least one day of the week, letting your kids help you to pick and prepare the food that you are going to have for dinner that day. You can use this opportunity to talk about the vegetables you're preparing and really get them interested and asking questions!
Grow your own!
If you have the space try to grow your own vegetables, and if you don't, ask to use a grandparents or neighbour's garden if possible. Let your children pick the seeds that they would like to grow and then help them to plant them. You could also use this occasion to talk about some other vegetables that you could grow and how lovely they will taste because a very special person has grown them!
Keep It Positive
Always keep conversations about vegetables positive and refrain from using any negative language or any words that may have a negative connotation attached to it. My kids love brussel sprouts, and part of the reason is because of a little saying that we all use when we eat them. For my little boy, we say that he gets his muscles from brussles, and with my little girl, we say that they give her princess muscles. It's fun and positive, and the kids get excited when they eat them.
It's definitely one of the hardest ones to keep as you cannot control what others say, especially other children. They may use words like, 'yuck' and 'gross' to describe vegetables, and that is something that you will have to deal with as best as you can. When one of my kids uses a negative word to describe any food, I simply say, "well I eat it, so it's not yuck to me". You could also use an older sibling or cousin; use someone that they look up to.
Don't make a big deal out of it
If your children refuse to eat their vegetables, simply explain to them that there will not be any more food after dinner. Try not to coax them into eating their veg, instead calmly explain to them that if their dinner isn't eaten, then that's it, and if they are hungry later then they will have to wait until breakfast for their next meal. They will eventually learn that it is best for them to eat their dinner.
Small portions
Keep the portions small to begin with, a plate with a mountain of veg on it may be quite daunting to a toddler, so start with portions that don't take up a lot of plate space. Once your little one starts to like that particular vegetable, you can gradually increase the amount to a normal portion size.
Always keep meal times stress free and relaxed, have a calm attitude towards food in general and encourage your children to explore different tastes, cook and ask questions about where their food has come from. If you have a positive approach to food, and try not to make a big deal out of it, then their manner will match yours, and meal times will be a fun and exploratory experience!
Yahoo Lifestyle
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