How to get your child to eat vegetables without forcing, bribing or tricking

Why vegetables can be hard for kids to eat

Many kids may be reluctant to eat vegetables , no matter how they are probed, pushed or bribed. Eating veggies can feel like a chore for your child, and getting your kid to try “just one bite” of any veggies on their plate can feel like a nightmare for you. It may be helpful to know that we are born with preferences for sweeter tastes. If you think about it, a baby’s first food is breast milk, which has naturally occurring sugars, including lactose. Vegetables can be more difficult for children to get accustomed to, as they tend to have more bitter, sour and complex flavors. Children are learning to eat different foods and getting familiar with eating vegetables is no different than developing a new skill, like riding a bike. It takes practice in a low-pressure environment, patience and nurturing.

Do kids really need veggies to be healthy?

So what is the big deal with vegetables anyway? Why the overemphasis on getting a child to eat vegetables? This is something that is commonly lectured by healthcare professionals to well-meaning family members, but the truth is your child can get the nutrition they need to grow and thrive without hyper-focusing on vegetables alone. Vegetables and fruits have similar nutrient profiles so your child is more likely to get the nutrition they need by having access to a variety of different foods. The bottom line: A child’s health is not singularly defined by how many servings of veggies they eat. There are many other components that influence their health status, including:

• Access to a variety of foods
• Adequate healthcare
• Regular time to play
• Emotional nurturing, and more

While vegetables can provide important nutrients to a growing child, stressing about whether your child’s food intake is adequate or not will only make eating harder for you both. The good news is that you can you help your child actually enjoy them. (And It doesn’t involve any forcing, bribing, tricking or figuring out how to sneak in veggies into your child’s food).

7 tips for helping kids enjoy veggies

1. Make them taste delicious

Vegetables don’t have to be boring or flavorless. If your child is struggling with eating them, take a different approach to how you serve and prepare them. Don’t be afraid to add seasonings, herbs and spices. Sautee with real butter or cook them with bacon or pancetta. Make a yummy salad with some added toppings, like dried fruit and nuts. Serve your child something that tastes good to you and that you would also enjoy.

2. Pair with familiar foods

Serving veggies alongside foods that your child is familiar and comfortable with will make them more likely to try them. Having too many foods that are new or unfamiliar can be intimidating for a child. When planning out meals for your family, keep this in mind: a neutral food component along with something that might be a little harder to eat, like a vegetable, can make it easier for your child.

3. Keep the pressure low

The more a child is pushed to do something, the less likely they will want to do it. This is where you have full permission to stop bribing, coercing or negotiating with your child when it comes to eating. Remember: Parents provide, child decides . It’s your job to determine what food is served. It’s your child’s job to decide whether or not they want to eat what you have served and how much. If eating vegetables is a non-issue, your child will feel more relaxed to try different foods that are served. Pressuring a child to eat certain foods can actually cause them to dislike those foods.

4. Don’t give positive or negative reinforcement

Many parents feel obligated to reward or punish a child based on their vegetable intake, but this can be counterproductive. For example, telling a child:

• “You won’t get any dessert tonight if you don’t take a least one bite of your broccoli.” (Negative reinforcement)
• “Good job eating all your vegetables! Now you can have dessert.” (Positive reinforcement)

These feeding strategies can actually teach a child that they cannot trust their own bodies to guide their food decisions or that certain foods have to be earned. This makes food more chaotic for a child and sets the stage for problematic eating behaviors down the road.

5. Keep trying and reintroducing

We’ve all heard the saying, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” This absolutely applies to kids and vegetables. As parents, it’s easy to give up all hopes of our child trying and liking a certain food when we see them reject it time and time again. So we give up and we stop trying. However, it may take a child repeated exposure to that food to promote food acceptance. Research has shown that a child needs as many as 8-15 exposures to a particular food before they might gain acceptance of that food, but many parents are likely to give up trying at the earliest signs of rejection. Bottom line: Keep trying to introduce new foods, like vegetables, in a low-pressure environment to help increase acceptance and consumption.

6. Involve your kids in the kitchen

Research has also found that hands-on approaches, such as cooking and gardening, may encourage greater vegetable consumption in children . When a child is allowed to be part of the planning and the preparation and can see how a food is grown and/or prepared, this may positively support their own eating behaviors. Give your child the opportunity to help prepare veggies and let them play a part in the kitchen.

7. Lead by example

Ultimately, children learn by example, and in order to raise a child to eat well, you may have to work on your own eating habits. In a compassionate and gentle way, take an honest look at how you eat and your own relationship with food . Do you enjoy a variety of foods? Do you trust yourself when it comes to your own health and your body? If you’re feeling stuck with your own approach to food and health, it is critical to get the help you need for yourself first. Don’t let vegetables become a battleground. If you need help raising a healthy eater, connect with the support you need. You’ve got this mama, and you don’t have to do this alone.