Stress-Free Ways to Get Your Kids Eating More Vegetables

As we learn more about more about how to stay healthy, kids’ attitudes toward vegetables aren’t evolving quite as quickly. The problem is, plenty of health-boosting nutrients are lurking in those “yucky” veggies – and they should be a part of your child’s diet.

Today, vegetable consumption in preschool-aged children remains well below what is recommended. But between formal studies and more casual examinations of how kids respond to different approaches, parents have new options for ways to introduce their children to healthy foods. We go into a few of these below, and dive into the evidence that shows why these approaches work.

A healthy diet is a key component in building your child’s oral health and systemic health. What they eat today helps determine the strength and appearance of their permanent teeth down the road. If you’re ever looking for guidance with your child’s tooth development or dental care, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Which New Food Approach Works Best

A 2003 study investigated a few different common approaches to reintroducing kids to vegetables they dislike. Parents and children were divided into these groups:

• Exposure – Parents gave their child a taste of the vegetable every day for 14 days
• Information – Parents were given nutritional advice and a leaflet to share with their children
• Control – No information or food guidance was given.

After the 14 days, all participants took part in a vegetable taste test. Children in the exposure group showed increases in how much they liked the vegetable, how high they ranked it, and how much of it they ate. The other groups did not show as positive an outcome.

So, having children try a small amount of a vegetable each day (as little as 1-2 bites) can lead to big changes in their overall attitudes. Patience is the key!

How to Turn Your Kids into Adventurous Eaters at Home

• Lead by example – Show your child that you’re invested in healthy eating. Make sure that healthy vegetables and fruit are a priority on your weekly shopping list, and limit the availability of sugary or starchy snacks. Veggies can be snacks too! Your eating patterns impact your children’s and making changes here can make a big difference.
• Make food more fun – Turn a meal into make believe. Tell your child that the broccoli is trees that are for a hungry dinosaur to eat, or that they need to finish their milk to unlock a magic growing potion that will help them get big and strong.
• Get them engaged – Have your child help with a meal from start to finish. Take them grocery shopping and have them pick 2 ingredients from the produce section that they will help you prepare later. You can also take them to a garden (or start a garden in the backyard!) and show them how to harvest and clean vegetables.
• Make sure they try at least one bite – Like the research we mentioned earlier shows, children who initially reject a food can change their mind after 8-10 tries. If they try at least one mouthful (or better, two, so that they can have a chance to acclimate) every time the food is served, they will get more comfortable with the vegetable in question.
• Don’t preach all or nothing – Eating one bite is very different from finishing an entire plate. Exposure is different from forcing kids to eat everything in front of them – this is more likely to lead to negative experiences involving arguing and a timeout or other punishment. This can actually intensify picky eating.
• Provide rewards – Don’t just avoid negative food experiences – actively encourage positive food experiences. This helps improve picky eating habits. The reward can be as simple as a sticker or a stamp on their hand.
• Speak on their level – Reframe nutrition in terms your child will understand. They don’t care about health as a nebulous concept – but they care a whole lot about growing big and strong (or at least, most do).
• Provide a variety of colors – Children like colorful foods, which is great news for vegetables. They typically prefer flavors to remain separate (unlike adults), so you can make small piles of sliced or steamed vegetables that were prepared individually.
• Arrange food in visually exciting ways – Since kids like colors, they’re clearly interested in the appearance of their meals. They love seeing food in fun patterns and separated into piles. You can nudge these piles into a familiar shape like a heart or smiley face.
• Use flavor enhancers – Adding delicious flavors to plain vegetables makes them tastier and more likely to become a hit. Try serving a new or disliked vegetable cooked in butter or garlic, or with cheese or bacon.
• Be persistent – Your child is unique, and they’ll respond to these efforts differently. The process may be difficult. But keep going, and their habits will eventually change. Resolving picky eating while young will help them maintain good eating habits as they age and ultimately stay healthy and avoid obesity or nutrient deficiencies.

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