Released August 14, 2009
GREENFIELD, Iowa – 1. Enjoy a variety of vegetables yourself.
Never underestimate the power of parents, grandparents or other caregivers of being a role model for children’s eating habits. If you enjoy eating a wide variety of vegetables your children see it as the normal thing to do. You don’t have to make a big deal about it, just make vegetables a tasty part of your meals.
2. Give children experiences with vegetables.
Savvy adults know kids won’t eat what they aren’t familiar with. So make it an adventure to pick out a new vegetable to taste. Look for a new green vegetable or red vegetable at the store. Read books about vegetables, let kids scrub vegetables, or pick vegetables from the garden or grow a vegetable. Any experience increases their interest in tasting a vegetable.
3. Cut raw vegetables up for meals and snacks.
Children usually prefer the taste and texture of raw vegetables over cooked ones. Make a plate of small bite-sized veggies (broccoli trees, baby carrots, celery stick, cucumber slides, sugar snap pea pods, red-green or yellow pepper strips, etc.) a standard offering at every meal. Kids like choices, so let them choose from a constantly changing variety at each meal.
4. Serve bright, colorful cooked vegetables with texture.
Everyone eats with their eyes first. When veggies are bright and colorful they are more appealing. Overcooked mushy veggies turn everyone off. When cooking veggies keep they brightly colored and crunchy in texture by steaming or microwaving for just a few minutes.
5. Be adventurous with veggies.
When children see veggies as fun, they are more likely to eat them. Visit http://www.foodchamps.org/ sponsored by Produce for Better Health for games, coloring sheets, new recipes and more.
6. The secret of what not to do.
Never, ever bribe children to eat veggies, or threaten them with a punishment if they don’t eat their veggies. While these tactics may work in the short term, research shows that in the long run children will avoid foods they have been made to eat with bribes or threats.
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