Nine ways to get your kids to eat their vegetables
PARENTS have traditionally battled to get their children to eat vegetables, but it seems the tables have turned, as increasing numbers of children are eating their greens, and plenty of other colours of veg.
Research by Birds Eye found almost a third (32%) of parents of children aged between four and nine years said their children would eat just about any type of vegetable, with colourful carrots, peas, sweetcorn and broccoli being the favourites.
Clinical psychologist Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, star of Channel 4’s The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6-Year-Olds, says: “It’s no surprise children are becoming more adventurous with the vegetables they eat. The rise of flexitarian or plant-based diets and leading food influencers focusing on veg-packed recipes are all signs that healthy eating has become a huge part of popular culture.
“Children learn through observation and are heavily influenced by what they see adults around them doing. If parents have a varied diet and an adventurous approach to food, then it’s likely to rub off on their children, so it’s vital that parents aim to add different coloured vegetables to the plates of the whole family.”
The research also found children More children are eating their veg – but how can fussy eaters be converted?
talks to an expert to get some advice
are more likely to try new food when they’re at school, nursery, or at a friend’s house, suggesting they might be more open to experimenting with food when away from home. To test this theory, and in celebration of their Eat in Full Colour campaign, Birds Eye opened a unique children-only pop-up restaurant, First Plates, aimed at encouraging less adventurous eaters to try a rainbow of vegetable dishes.
As part of the campaign, here Dr Kilbey suggests ways to encourage children to eat more veg:
VARIETY IS KEY
THE texture of vegetables can sometimes be an issue for children. If they don’t like the texture of one vegetable, they tend to lump all vegetables into the same category by assuming they won’t like them all. Encourage them to try different options, and also remind them they can’t be sure they don’t like something until they’ve tried it.
MIX UP YOUR EATING ENVIRONMENT
CHILDREN are strongly influenced by the environment and will often not want to stand out or be left out. So if their friends at nursery are eating something new, they may be more likely to try it. Having a chat with nursery staff or with other parents can be a great way to get children to try new vegetables.
CONSIDER COLOUR
CHILDREN are strongly influenced by the look and smell of food and will make a decision on whether they like something just from how it looks, whereas adults want to know how it tastes.
This means children may associate certain coloured foods with tastes they don’t like. Serving children colours of vegetables that