Children will eat their greens ... if you don’t make a meal of the issue

Talk to any parent of small children about mealtimes and conversation, inevitably, at some point, turns to vegetables. Do they eat them? Which ones? How acceptable actually is it to attempt to sneak illicit greens into, for example, cheese on toast?

Depending on where you are in the parental cycle/ how fussy your child is, the response will either be smug (at least 10 varieties are accepted; little coercion is required) or totally despairing (does strawberry jam count as fruit?).

News, then, that hanging wind chimes in the kitchen could be the secret to encouraging fussy children to eat their greens will have parents either hotfooting it to the garden centre, or recoiling in horror. I confess that I am firmly in the latter camp – especially when Charles Spence, the Oxford professor of experimental psychology who carried out the research, adds that children should also be encouraged to play with their food, even if they don’t eat it. (I have three boys – if I told them they could do this, every mealtime would become a food fight.)

Admittedly, I have it relatively easy when it comes to filial veg consumption. My offspring eat an acceptable variety and amount of greenery. I do not have all the answers. But here are a few things I have found helpful:

One. Ignore the braggers. You know the ones. “Oh, do yours not like celeriac? Marmaduke simply loves This is in all likelihood complete rubbish. No child likes celeriac. And that’s fine. If your child only eats peas and carrots, that’s fine, too. Throw in a tomato curveball once in a while. Tastes change pretty quickly when you’re five.

Two. Hiding vegetables in food is fine, as is being economical with the truth. My six-year-old likes to claim he’s allergic to onions. He’s not – I put them in it!”. bolognese sauce all the time. I just chop them up small enough so he doesn’t notice. He also eats courgette dal – but he doesn’t know it’s got courgettes in it. I just call it dal (that sounds a bit braggy. It’s not supposed to).

Three. Don’t force them. I am totally guilty of the “just one more mouthful” habit, but if they really don’t like something, don’t make them eat it. But do make them try at least one bite. Biting then spitting it out doesn’t count.

Four. Eat your own greens. A study earlier this year found that two thirds of British adults eat fewer than three portions of fruit and veg a day. If your children don’t see you eating healthily, they’re far less likely to do it themselves.

Five. Let your children into the kitchen. Yes, I know it’s messy, and potentially life-endangering when they want to “help”. But there are plenty of studies showing that, if children are involved in helping prepare food, they’re much more likely to eat it. Plus, you’re imparting useful life skills. One in eight British adults can’t make an omelette without using a recipe. Don’t let your child become one of them.

Six. Don’t be weird about food. A diet exclusively made up of avocados is not good for you. Bread is not the enemy. Eating an occasional pudding is not going to kill you. Children pick up on this stuff.

Seven. Try and make mealtimes an enjoyable occasion. Eating should primarily be a happy, sociable event. Hovering around your children stressing about how many peas are going in is not happy or sociable. Sit down and eat with them instead. Once or twice a week is fine. Don’t serve four courses (unless you’re a masochist).

Eight. Avoid wind chimes.