It’s no secret that many kids don’t like vegetables. Frustrated parents often tell their children that they’ll get dessert if they eat their veggies and that they’ll miss out on sweets if they don’t eat their vegetables. That approach sends mixed messages and can lead to unhealthy eating habits.
How You Might Be Sending Your Kids the Wrong Message
Using dessert as a reward can be confusing to kids. Vegetables are filled with nutrients that people of all ages need to stay healthy, but parents often talk about veggies in a way that makes them seem unappealing. When kids are told that they’ll be rewarded with dessert if they eat their vegetables, they learn that vegetables are “bad” and dessert is “good,” even though eating sweets can lead to cavities and obesity.
Bribing kids with dessert can make them like vegetables even less and prefer sweets even more. Children can learn that if they complain about having to eat veggies, adults will be more likely to offer dessert as a reward. Providing sweets when kids eat their vegetables can lead to unhealthy habits. Kids can learn to eat when they’re not hungry and overindulge in unhealthy foods to reward themselves for completing tasks.
How to Get Your Kids to Eat Nutritious Foods
It’s common for young children to refuse to eat a vegetable or to try a little and say they don’t like it. When that happens, don’t press the issue. Parents usually have to offer a vegetable several times, on different days, and prepare it in different ways before their kids begin to like it.
Getting your kids involved in meal planning and preparation can make them more likely to eat vegetables. Go through cookbooks or look at online recipes together. When you find a dish that appeals to your kids, work it into your meal plan for the following week. Consider taking your children shopping with you to buy ingredients.
Encourage your kids to help you prepare the meal. A young child can help you measure or stir ingredients, while older kids can cut up vegetables, and maybe even assist with cooking. Make mealtimes positive experiences. Keep the conversation relaxed and encourage your kids to talk about topics that are important to them. Model healthy behaviors. If your kids see you eating vegetables, they’ll be likely to follow suit.
If you offer a variety of nutritious foods at every meal and make healthy snacks available, your children should be able to get adequate amounts of nutrients. Your pediatrician can give you advice on how to get your kids to eat healthy foods and discuss any concerns you have.
