6 ways to help your child eat more vegetables

As parents, we know the importance of eating vegetables. But when it comes to children, this is easier said than done. You may find yourself struggling to find ways your child enjoys vegetables. Or, vegetables have become a source of stress at dinner time and you have resorted to sneaking vegetables into your child’s meals. These are all common scenarios and you are not alone in playing hide and seek with vegetables. In the short term, sneaking vegetables is great for getting your child to eat them but long-term, it can encourage fussiness and won’t help change their food behaviours. 

So, here are our top six Dietitian-approved ways to help your child eat vegetables and actually enjoy them.

1. Make vegetables taste good

Humans are born with a preference for sweet tastes. After all, a baby’s first food is breast milk which is naturally sweet. Vegetables are starkly bitter in comparison so don’t be afraid to approach vegetables differently. Use seasonings, herbs and spices or saute and roast veggies with a little olive oil then garnish with cheese. Make salads tasty with yummy toppings like nuts, seeds and dried fruit and let your child dunk vegetables in their favourite dips.

2. Serve one new vegetable at a time

Avoid overwhelming your child with multiple new vegetables at once - your child will likely not touch any veggies at all! Choose one new vegetable and serve a small portion alongside a favourite and familiar food for your child. A ten cent size portion is all that is needed to help children build acceptance.

3. Use neutral language 

Do your best to remain neutral when vegetables are rejected. Avoid comments like “you can only have dessert after eating your carrots” or “well done for eating all your vegetables first, now you can have dessert”. These send a message that vegetables are not enjoyable and that certain foods need to be earned. Long-term, food will become more chaotic and problematic for your child.

4. Role model

Children learn by example, so eating vegetables yourself goes a long way in helping your child eat them too. Aim to fill half of your plate with a range of colourful vegetables, knowing that you are benefiting both your own and your child’s health.

5. Involve your child

Allowing your child to explore vegetables in multiple ways beyond eating helps familiarise vegetables. Hands-on approaches are known to help increase children’s vegetable intake. Try taking your child to the shops to pick up a new vegetable, get them washing, peeling, blending and grating in the kitchen or start a herb garden.

6. Keep trying

Did you know that it takes up to ten to 15 exposures for children to accept a new food? As disheartening as it can be when your child rejects vegetables, keep offering. It takes time for children to build acceptance but your persistence will pay off long-term.

If you are struggling to help your child eat a variety of foods and after more personalised support, book in with one of our Accredited Practising Dietitians today.