How can I get my picky eater to eat vegetables?
When it comes to picky eating, vegetables seem to be one of the biggest problem areas.
Some kids won’t touch anything green, others have an aversion to orange and red, and some refuse to let vegetables of any kind pass their lips…🤐
Vegetables are essential for our health and unfortunately many children are falling way short of the recommended dietary intake (RDI):
2-3 year olds: 2.5 serves a day
4-8 year olds: 4.5 serves a day
9-13 year olds: 5 serves a day
Why are veggies so important?
🫑 they are nutritional powerhouses, full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are vital for maintaining overall health and wellbeing, supporting immune function, promoting proper growth and development, and preventing various diseases.
🥕 they are high in fibre which promotes good digestive health, regular bowel movements and growth of beneficial gut bacteria
🥒 many vegetables have high water content, contributing to hydration and maintaining fluid balance in the body.
🥦 certain vegetables, such as leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, contain compounds that support the body's natural detoxification processes, helping to eliminate harmful substances and toxins.
Here are a few tips to help increase your child's vegetable intake:
Take your child grocery shopping and ask them to choose vegetables to try
Change the way you offer vegetables with meals, e.g. if your child is refusing to eat cooked carrots, serve them raw carrot sticks instead (this worked for my child)
Set a good example by eating a wide variety of vegetables in front of your child
Serve vegetable dips with crackers, e.g. roast vegetable dip
Add finely-chopped or grated vegetables to muffins, sauces, casseroles or burger mince
Serve vegetables on skewers, e.g. cherry tomatoes, cucumber and capsicum
Invite your child to choose their own salad or veggies from a shared bowl in the middle of the table at dinnertime
My biggest tip is to try and make it fun. A great way to do this is to use a reward chart.
I encourage you to check out the free reward chart downloads on my website. These charts are suitable for preschool and primary-school aged children and are particularly good for picky eaters who may need a bit of extra encouragement!
You can find the reward charts here
🥔 A final word about potatoes. Yes, potatoes are vegetables, but unfortunately chips (crisps) or most of the highly processed potato products found in the freezer section don’t count as a serve of veg (sorry…). Try roast potatoes, mashed potato or home made chips instead.