Getting Your Children to Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Face it, when experts say, “eat your greens,” they aren’t talking about lime jell-o or apple-flavored lollipops. And, while it can be hard enough for adults to remember to eat their fruits and veggies, getting children to follow suit can be harder than scraping a green gummy bear off the bottom of a shoe. Yes, getting children to eat more fruits and vegetables is often a losing battle.

Stop worrying! Dinner time doesn’t need to be a battle of wills between well-meaning parents and their veggie-phobic children. By following a few simple techniques, parents can ensure that their children eat more fruits and vegetables.

1. Catch ‘Em Early
Studies have proven that children are more likely to try new foods between the ages of two and three years. After three years of age, the likelihood that your potato chip lovers will turn into veggie-lovers drops dramatically. The message is clear…feeding your children fruits and vegetables at an earlier age will help guarantee that they keep eating them at a later age.

2. Be Persistent
So you’ve fed junior diced carrots 35 times. And 35 times junior has either fed said diced carrots to the dog (with mixed results), or mashed them into the darkest recesses of his high chair. The dog is sick and the chair is filthy, so why would you even bother to put carrots out for a 36th time? Believe it or not, your child eventually WILL try the carrots—and he may even enjoy them. Getting the dog to enjoy them, however, could be more difficult.

3. A Little Trickery Goes a Long Way
Like most parents, you probably vowed to always be completely honest with your children. However, honesty doesn’t go very far in ensuring that your children eat more fruits and vegetables. No, what you need here is some old-fashioned trickery.