Can’t get your kids to eat their veggies?
Tips and tricks from experts to make mealtime easier
Because her oldest child loved almost all foods, Myra Hyland-Samson thought all her younger children would be the same.
“It turns out our younger two children have major trouble with texture and after watching them genuinely gag on cooked vegetables, I gave up,” says the mom from Arichat, Cape Breton.
It’s common for kids to have reservations about vegetables, typically in the toddler years, explains Danielle Farrell, a dietician for Dominion stores in St. John’s, Mount Pearl, and Conception Bay South, N.L. She lists a number of factors at play: taste, texture and mealtime pressures.
Children are sensitive to taste and actually have more taste buds than adults, says Farrell, meaning the slightly bitter taste of Brussels sprouts may be more strongly received by a child and can take some practice or a variety of preparation methods to get used to.
Vegetables can be tricky for kids because they aren’t consistent — the taste, texture and colour changes from meal to meal depending on how we prepare them.
START SMALL
Kids need the health benefits of vegetables, says Shaina Falcone, a certified nutrition coach and fitness trainer who operates Shaina Falcone Fitness in Hubbards, N.S.
“Changes in eating habits can seem traumatic to children, so start with small changes,” suggests Falcone. “Brace yourself for resistance at first. Kids may need to eat
a new food over 20 times to develop a taste for it.”
Starting them on vegetables when they’re babies is still no guarantee they’ll willingly eat them later. Hyland-Samson and her husband run a food blog, Delicious on a Dime.
“We exposed all three to the same foods and the same environment,” she says, yet their youngest two children have texture issues, a complication she never expected.
CHANGE PERCEPTIONS
Get rid of food negativity by changing how you talk about food. Encourage kids to say, “It’s not my favourite, but I’ll try it,” says Falcone.
How we label foods is paramount to how children view them, adds Farrell.
“If we offer chocolate as a reward for eating broccoli, this translates into ‘you have to eat this yucky vegetable to earn the chocolate as a prize,’” she says.
Labelling vegetables as something we have to eat to be healthy unintentionally puts pressure on a child, and no one wants to be told they have to do something. It only makes them not want to do it more, says Farrell. Instead, educate kids about the health benefits.
For example, Falcone’s sons know what diabetes and heart disease are and they can be linked to poor diet. Their family talks about how veggies help boost immune systems, reduce colds and can help them perform better at school and sports.
GIVE THEM CHOICE
Get kids involved in cooking or deciding what lands on their plate, says Farrell. Provide choices on what veggies get packed in their lunch or what side dish they have with dinner to give children a sense of control.
Another great option is to have kids grow vegetables. Hyland-Samson’s family plants a “snacking garden” and her children are encouraged to pick and eat them any time they want.
NO PRESSURE
Above all, Farrell says to avoid pressuring children to eat any particular food, which will negatively impact their relationship with that food. Instead, focus on role modelling.
Talk about the taste, smell and appearance of your own food and how much you’re enjoying it.
Avonport, N.S., resident Julie MacDonald learned the “one or some rule” through her career as an early childhood educator. At mealtime, she suggests asking children if they would like one or some of the vegetables.
“Once it’s a habit, it’s amazing how good the rule can be, even with the pickiest eaters.”
HIDING VEGGIES
Parents have come up many ways to hide veggies in common food.
Hyland-Samson suggests cooking veggies until soft or roasting them to make them extra sweet and delicious, but you can also boil or steam them. Then, puree the veggies and add to sauce. Don’t forget to season with salt appropriately so the flavours pop.
Farrell adds the importance of not hiding vegetables, but “add” them.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
Remember if kids reject some foods, this doesn’t mean you’ve failed, says Farrell. Just keep trying.
In the end, don’t worry. If your child is struggling with veggies, they are likely still receiving many of the same essential nutrients from other foods.
If you really are struggling, Farrell suggests working with a registered dietitian to review your child’s diet and assess if they are lacking any nutrients. Dieticians can help brainstorm ways to increase their intake with you.