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Five tips to get your child eating fruits and vegetables
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Many parents understand the dilemma of having a picky eater in the family. You constantly worry if they are getting enough nutrients and how their diet will affect their development. Here are some great tips to get your child to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Start early – Introduce healthy fruits and vegetables to your children as early as possible. The earlier they get used to a certain food; it becomes a part of their lifelong diet. The second I got the green light from my pediatrician to give my son the baby food purees, I immediately ran to the store and bought every type I could find. My pediatrician informed me to only introduce one new food every two to three days in case of an allergic reaction. You should always consult your pediatrician or health care provider about your child’s diet.
Never give up – When my son was a baby, he would only eat the green purees. You can imagine how tired I got of removing pea and green bean stains from his laundry. I would offer him sweet fruits only to have them come right back at me. Your child may try a certain food nine or ten times before he decides he likes it. I remember my son would never eat bananas. I tried them pureed, mashed, and mixed in with oatmeal but he avoided them like the plague. Then one day, we were in the grocery store and he pointed at them so I figured I would try again. I got home and broke a banana in half and handed it to him. Before I knew it, the banana was gone. He had eaten it all up and he eats them all the time now. I don’t know what changed, maybe his tastes are different or maybe it is exciting now because he can hold it himself. If they refuse a food the first time, try again periodically.
Be a good example – Many times, our children’s eating habits and preferences mirror our own. I don’t have time to sit down for a proper breakfast in the morning and usually grab something once I get to work. I also tend to pick at things throughout the day rather than sit down and eat a big meal. I became frustrated at my son’s refusal to eat anything at breakfast and the fact that he would take four bites at meal time and then be finished only to come back to the pantry 30 minutes later. Then I realized he was developing my habits. I have started sitting down at the table with him at meal time and everything changed. He is even developing better table manners.
It’s all in the presentation – Any chef will tell you that we eat with our eyes first. Our children are no different. Why do they like candy – because it is colorful and pretty. It just looks like it is going to taste good. Parents can do the same thing with fruits and vegetables. What is more colorful that a fruit salad? Also, cut up the vegetables in a fun way. I have found great success in getting my son to eat different vegetables by turning them into slaw. Try cutting vegetables into matchsticks or confetti or shredding them. Add carrots, celery, onion or shallots, apple slices and cucumber to a bag of slaw. Top with a vinaigrette dressing for a wonderful side dish packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Also try experimenting with fresh herbs. Chopped parsley not only makes a wonderful garnish but also contains vitamins A, C and K and mint is a good source of fiber, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium and iron.
Be sneaky – My son went through a phase where he would only eat pasta with meat sauce. One day while I was chopping my onion and garlic to put into a large pot of sauce, I started to wonder if he would notice if I diced up some carrots and put those in too. So I tried it. When the sauce was completed, you could not see them and my son ate it with the same enthusiasm as normal. The next time I made sauce, I also added spinach and green beans. He never knew the difference. It was a great way to slip in extra nutrition and it did not change the taste of the sauce. I started doing it with many of my usual dishes. Then one day, while watching television, I saw Jessica Seinfeld talking about her new cookbook Deceptively Delicious. In the book, she discussed how she added vegetable purees to her family’s favorite dishes. She made her purees on Sunday night and then put them in everything from macaroni and cheese and meatloaf to cookies, cakes and brownies. Her family loved her creations and never new the difference. I started to use some of those techniques for my own recipes and the entire family is eating much healthier than ever before.
The bottom line when dealing with a picky eater is to never despair. You can work with many of the methods mentioned above and develop a system that is right for your child.
To see what other Examiners have to say, please see our new Food for Healthy Families category page for kid-friendly recipes, tips for parents of picky eaters, and other nuggets of nutritional wisdom from our community of experts.
