HOW TO GET KIDS TO LOVE THEIR VEGGIES!

Research shows that sensory-based food education is the secret to feeding picky eaters – Emma agrees

Tempting as it is, T sneaking vegetables into recipes isn’t the best way to get children to eat them.

New research has found that encouraging three to five-yearolds to use all five senses – taste, sight, touch, smell and sound – makes even fussy eaters tuck in, because it’s fun! I wouldn’t eat strawberries growing up, so my mum took me to a pick-yourown farm. They then became my favourite fruit, because plucking them straight from a plant suddenly made them enticing.

A child needs to taste something around 14 times before it feels natural, so always put a little on their plate and ask them to have at least one bite. Eventually, the vegetable drops into their diet.

Having your child prepare and cook food with you also helps. Let them pick a recipe from a choice of three (veggie-packed, of course), then involve them in chopping, stirring, weighing and serving it. Plan meals as a family on a Sunday, so they are prepared for what’s coming. It makes for fewer complaints and cleaner plates.

Other research found that giving veg fun names, like “superhero sweet potato” or “groovy green beans” encouraged kids to eat more. They won’t be convinced to gobble veg because it’s healthy, so don’t hard-sell that – they want it to be fun. Finally, if your kids need dips and sauces to eat their greens, let them. If tarting up red peppers with houmous or cauliflower with grated cheese gets them used to the taste and texture of it, so be it. We have bigger battles to fight!