Why won’t Johnny eat his vegetables?

Author: Kate Rogers Accredited Practising Dietitian
Well, vegetables are important sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibre. Some parents would argue that fruit can provide most of the same nutrients, but it makes for a more balanced diet to include both fruit and vegetables every day. Besides, with so many vegetables available to choose from, it is unlikely a child could dislike them ALL.

Young kids soon learn that vegies provide the ultimate power struggle. Parents often make the mistake of assuming their child will not like vegetables. By saying “You can’t have dessert till you eat your vegies” you may be lining yourself up for a permanent battle over vegetables as they will automatically assume “yukky food” status.

The texture of cooked vegetables can be part of the problem. Small babies need to have their vegetables cooked very well so that they are easily mashed. Older children usually prefer their vegetables firm or even raw. Somewhere in between these two stages is a critical time where parents need to stop overcooking vegies and offering them in different ways.

The strong flavour of some vegetables may be off-putting for many children. The main offenders here tend to be spinach, turnips, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. Often children “grow into” liking the taste of these vegetables but they can still be encouraged in the early years.
Research has shown that children may need to taste a new food up to 10 times before they begin to accept it. So perseverance is the key!

Here are some practical tips that have been tried and tested on kids worldwide:

• Let your child help to prepare the vegetables. Allow them to help choose them from the supermarket or vegetable shop (or better still grow your own at home). There are not many children that would refuse to taste a carrot or cherry tomato they grew “all by themselves”!
• Make sure Dad eats his vegetables!! Surprisingly the research shows that children are more inclined to follow their fathers’ eating habits than their mothers. That doesn’t mean Mum shouldn’t be a good role model as well – of course she should! It is also important to sit down and have your meal together as a family if possible. Kids benefit from having family time and this is a good opportunity to demonstrate that eating vegetables is a normal part of life.
• Don’t allow children to fill up on food or drinks (other than water) for at least an hour before the evening meal. If they are not hungry you will have much less success with your quest to increase their intake of healthy food.
• Sometimes younger children have a good appetite mid-afternoon but start to tire and lose interest in food by the evening meal. For these children it may be more successful to offer the nutritious meal (equivalent of dinner) at the time it is more convenient and accepted.
• Give lots of positive praise and attention to help reinforce the message that eating vegetables is a good thing to do.
• Make sure you include vegetables on the menu every day of the week. The frequency with which kids see vegetables served up increases their familiarity and acceptance of vegetables as part of the daily diet.
• A golden rule for every parent and carer to remember is that “The caregiver decides what to feed their child and when. The child decides whether to eat and how much”. You cannot force-feed a child and you cannot decide exactly how much they should be eating. Children will not allow themselves to starve.
• “Parking” is a concept worth trying with younger children such as toddlers. This means placing the new food on the child’s plate with no expectations that the food will be eaten. This allows the child to become familiar with the colour, texture and smell of the new food before attempting to taste it. Research suggests that young children need to be offered new foods up to 30 times in this manner before they will accept them. Hopefully it won’t take your child quite that long!
• Never give up!! You will eventually succeed. Don’t be put off by your child’s continual rejection of the foods you offer. Try not to make a fuss even when food is rejected as this will not accomplish anything.