do, in fact, like them. It can also lead to
suspicion of foods and lack of trust, further
exacerbating fussy eating.
There is also the issue of sending
confusing messages to kids. We may
understand the difference between a
beetroot brownie vs a regular brownie,
but kids won’t necessarily have that same
understanding, and instead the message
received on their end is that brownies are
healthy.
Why won’t my child eat
vegetables?
It’s important to remember that kids are
naturally afraid of new foods – it’s called
neophobia and is an inbuilt survival instinct
to prevent them from eating something
they shouldn’t. In some ways, we can be
thankful for this as it, hopefully, stops them
from eating dangerous things they come
across. But it also means that it can take
many exposures to a new food before it’s
accepted – up to 15 in fact!
There’s also the issue of taste.
Vegetables, particularly green vegetables,
often taste bitter to kids, a taste that we have
grown used to through repeated exposure.
This also applies to foods such as coffee,
dark chocolate and wine – most of us didn’t
like these things the first time we tried them!
• Serve a familiar, liked vegetable alongside a new or ‘learning to
like’ one – this helps kids to feel more comfortable with an
unfamiliar food.
• Add a familiar dip for kids to dip vegetable sticks in.
• Encourage kids to choose a new vegetable to try when you’re at
the supermarket – this gives them a greater feeling of control and
will also foster their curiosity around vegetables.
• Involve kids in cooking as much as possible: they’ll be more likely
to eat something they’ve helped prepare.
• Try to stay calm and relaxed during meal times. A stress-free
environment is your best bet for encouraging kids to be more
adventurous at the dinner table.
• Remember to be a good role model by eating plenty of vegetables
yourself and showing your kids how much you enjoy them.
• If in doubt, remember the golden rule of feeding kids: ‘parents
provide, kids decide’.
Most parents encounter the challenge of getting kids to eat enough
vegetables at some point, with even carrot-chomping toddlers'
tastes changing and becoming fussier as they get older. By exposing
kids to a wide range of veggies at mealtimes and employing the
techniques above, you can encourage greater acceptance and
intake of vegetables by the kids in your life.
Skye Swaney, APD
An Accredited Practicing Dietitian and nutritionist with over
12 years’ experience, Skye is the consulting nutritionist for
Go Kidz. Go Kidz make nourishing ready-made meals for
busy families who want to ensure every family member is
getting the right amount of veggies per serve.
What can we do instead?
• While there’s nothing wrong with
occasionally hiding veggies, a better
approach to take is to offer vegetables in
multiple forms – include some in their
main meal and some on the side or in the
middle of the table so they can help
themselves.
• In dishes such as spaghetti bolognaise,
keep vegetables small but visible, so that
kids can see them but aren’t daunted by
them. Then serve these dishes with a
side of vegetables such as some peas,
broccoli florets or a small salad so that
kids also have the option of trying some
vegetables on their own.
• Reduce the bitterness in bitter vegetables
by sautéing and roasting them rather
than steaming or boiling, and toss in
some melted butter and a little salt.
NETWORK SUMMER 2019 | 19