7 Quick Tips for Getting Your Child to Eat More Vegetables

Children choose foods, not based on the nutritional goodness or health benefits that foods provide. Rather, they are guided by their taste buds. But that’s not all. Habit plays a major role in what children like and what they do not like. And habits are developed early.

Unfortunately, children are exposed to high sugar, high fat and high sodium (salt) foods so early in life that they never learn to enjoy the natural goodness of foods without these added ingredients. The end result is a child who likes all the “wrong” foods and who may refuse to eat the “right” foods.

Parents know that vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and other vital compounds that promote healthy growth and development. But, getting children to eat their vegetables could prove to be quite challenging, to the point of frustration.

So, short of throwing in the towel, what can parents do to make sure that their children eat their vegetables?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Make vegetables a regular part of every meal. This will get children to accept vegetables as a normal part of the course and get them comfortable with these foods on their plate.

2. Serve up a variety of colorful vegetables. Kids like colors, so use colorful vegetables to tweak their curiosity about the foods on their plate.

3. Serve small portions, particularly when you are introducing a new vegetable for the first time. Seeing too much food on the plate could have the child feeling overwhelmed, perhaps even feeling like he might be punished if he doesn’t eat all. Serving smaller portions will help to remove the fear.

4. Allow the child to have seconds if he wants, while teaching him to control portions.

5. Disguise vegetables by adding them to soups, salads, casserole, gravies, pasta sauce and other dishes where they can be hidden. Chop, mash or grate the vegetables if necessary, but be careful not to overwhelm the dish with the vegetables so that the taste si overpowering that the child refuses to eat it. Gradually, increase the visibility of the vegetables as the child develops the taste or outgrows the resistance to them.

6. Be a good role model. If your child sees you eating your vegetables, he is more likely to do the same.

7. As soon as your child is old enough, involve him in doing fun things to peak his interest in vegetables and motivate him to want to at least try new ones. Be creative.

About the Author

Dr. Dorene E. Carter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant with over 25 years of experience in teaching, counseling, training, project development and writing. Dr. Carter earned her PhD in nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley and is currently President & CEO of CHANA Project, the Child Health and Nutrition Access Project. 

Copyright 2010 (c) Dorene E. Carter, PhD, RD. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or reprinting in any manner or form is strictly prohibited.
The information provided herein is for education and information services only and is not intended as a substitute for proper, personalized medical attention.

Getting Your Child to Eat More Vegetables

Dr. Carter’s Nutrition Journal

Getting Your Child to Eat More Vegetables

Dorene E. Carter, PhD, RD

Miami, FL.

May 14, 2010

Food>Children>Vegetables

Feeding children is a constant struggle for many of today’s parents who are often competing with fast food and other low-nutrient foods for their children's appetite. Unfortunately, children do not understand that eating too much of these foods could be bad for their health. Nor do they understand why it is important to eat vegetables.

Children are greatly influenced by powerful television advertising that entices them to eat foods high-calorie foods that are loaded with fat and sugar but offer little or none of the vital nutrients kids need for healthy growth.

As a parent, there are some things that you can do to get your child to eat more vegetables.

Here are a few tips.

Get your child excited about vegetables. Ask him about his favorite vegetables, take him shopping and allow him to wash the vegetables. You might even having a ‘tasting party’ before the actual meal. Another great way to get your child excited about vegetables is to have him plant a fast growing herb or vegetable, such as green onions or tomatoes.

Serve vegetables daily. Making vegetables a regular part of family meals will help your child to see that it is nothing unusual, just another part of the meal to be enjoyed.

Offer one new vegetable at a time, but aim for variety over the course of a week. This will give your child the exposure he needs to discover some vegetables that he might like from the start while warming up to others. Try not to limit the choices to two or three vegetables as this could make it harder for your child to accept others.

Prepare vegetables in different ways - raw, added to casseroles, soups, salads and stews. You can even add them to fruit smoothies for a special treat.

Use colorful vegetables to brighten up meals. Kids like bright colors, so choose foods that represent the colors of the rainbow to get your child excited about eating them.

Keep portions small at first. Putting too much on your child’s plate is likely to cause him to think that he cannot eat all of that and therefore not even try.

Finally, The most important thing you can do to teach your child is to set a good example. Children are great imitators and you are your child’s biggest role model. So, eat your vegetables. 

Please send us your comments on any topic presented here, or ask a question.

Dr. Dorene E. Carter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, specializing in child health and nutrition, with special emphasis on childhood obesity. Dr. Carter, who earned her PhD in nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley, is CEO of CHANA Project, the Child Health and Nutrition Access Project. To learn more, visit www.dailydietguide.com and www.chanaproject.org.