Children and vegetables

[flutemj]

Do you have any tips or hints for getting children and faddy teenagers to eat vegetables? I know that it is important to start introducing new tastes early in the child's life, I also 'hide' lots of vegetables in the meals I cook. I always put a little bit of whatever vegetable we are eating on their plate, I don't make a big fuss about them having to eat it.

[kelly_cheek]

All kids hate veggies. But you can try some tips. Broccoli, for example, can be served with sweet and sour sauce. I tried with cheese, it's ok. Cheese can be also sprinkled shredded over green beans. Carrots can be served with a bit of sugar. Don't overcook the vegetables and don't force the children to eat foods that they don't like.

[Justontime]

Children enjoy helping to prepare food, even quite young children can help as long as they are closely supervised, mine liked to chop up the vegetables, but when they were younger they loved to get the peas out of their pods. If children are involved in buying the vegetables and preparing them they are often more willing to eat them as well.

[serena]

Do you think if you feed your children vegetables from a very early age and nothing very sweet, they will automatically grow accustomed to them? Some people seem to think this way but sometimes it causes a reverse effect in that the child grows up hating whatever food it is they were given.

[Justontime]

I think perhaps it is a good idea to introduce lots of tastes very early in a child's life, but I don't think it is good to create conflict about what the child eats. Just keep offering a wide variety of vegetables and don't make a big deal about it. A bit of psychology often works too. A gentle comment like never mind, perhaps you are not old enough to like that yet can persuade the child to eat it just to prove he is grow up.

[flutemj]

Thank you, you have given me some helpful ideas. I think it is important for the adults in the family to set a good example to the children regarding what they eat and taking care of themselves. It is also important that vegetables are a significant part of every meal rather than an optional extra.

[billy]

Hmm.. in my family we never had this problem.. I always like vegetables and my parents never had to struggle with this problem.
I am thinking of decorated meals.. maybe if you try and make a face on the food out of two pieces of carrot as eyes and one slice of a tomato as a mouth.. you have a happy face on the plate...
It does take up some time.. but it's worth to try it.

[crisp]

Children can be very annoying when it comes to these things. I think it is best to teach them to love vegetables when they are little.. this way they won't hate it when they grow up.
Eventually they will know that it's for their own good to eat vegetables, they can't live on junk food all their lives..