Tips on Inserting Vegetables in Your Child's Food

Contents:

• Medical Video: Tips for parents of picky eaters
  

Medical Video: Tips for parents of picky eaters

It is not surprising that the foods that children least like are vegetables. In fact, vegetables are very important because they are filled with various benefits. It is recommended that toddlers and children get 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day (2 fruits and 3 vegetables). Whole fruits and vegetables are the best, but there are various other ways to serve vegetables.

Instead of replacing vegetables, try experimenting with a variety of different vegetables and learn how to cook / present them in a creative way. Remember to survive and continue to offer more food that has been rejected.

Just because your baby, toddler or child doesn't eat food doesn't mean they don't like it. They might not even taste it!

Some tips that you can try:

• Change how vegetables look and change their texture. Try mashed vegetables with cheese, made into burgers, vegetable tempura, or grated into a pasta dish. Mix these vegetables and have fun.
• Let the child choose. Ask how they want their vegetables to be cooked. An example might be making a pizza together where your child can choose toppings (including vegetables such as tomatoes and tomato paste, mushrooms, onions, peppers, eggplants and fresh herbs).
• Try making soup, pasta, or dye (guacamole) that has fruit or vegetables as the basis for making it. Or maybe try making a vegetable cake (pumpkin scone or pumpkin pie).
• Children may have better senses for smell and taste than adults, so try to lighten smelling vegetables and taste vegetables such as pumpkin, avocado, potatoes, kumara, beans, carrots, corn and red chili.
• Cooking can intensify odors, so try other styles using raw fruit or vegetable salads and finger foods (carrots, celery, avocados, tomatoes). You can cut them into fun creative shapes (using fruit slicer) or try boiled corn.
• Try dried fruits and vegetables in canned, frozen and dried containers. Different textures may appeal to some children who are fussy eaters. Some children realize that canned fruit and vegetables are more appetizing because they are softer and easier to chew. Recent evidence shows that frozen and canned foods retain nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetables. So, this is a really good choice for your child's body growth.
• Even though it doesn't replace the needs of vegetables, another way to get lots of nutrients is fresh fruit. If the vegetables have been tried continuously, you can feel sure your child is getting good by offering them fresh fruit.
• Extending the food experience by not only focusing on eating, but all the other things about food offered. Think about playing food, preparing food, growing food, cooking, social aspects of food, stories of food, color of food, texture and potential for learning around food. By doing this your child will develop an appreciation of vegetables and a lifestyle attitude that is oriented towards it.
• Do not give up. Continue to offer lots of vegetables, even if they consistently don't eat them. By modeling good eating habits and consistently offering healthy food choices, your child will eventually try and eventually eat vegetables.