Cooking

Don't mention it - emphasise the fun

We often hear that young children often refuse to eat fruit and vegetables - so how do we encourage them to eat wonderful fresh produce? I found some interesting advice from the internet site www.nostrofiglio.it Here are some examples: 

If a parent eats fruit and vegetables together with their children it shows them that they like to enjoy fresh produce and it is more likely that the young child will try to imitate its parents. In my opinion parents should eat at the same time as their children. I know that it can be a little complicated, especially in the beginning, but if you eat together, even right from the baby stage, they will be more motivated to eat and won’t be tired by the time that you start your own meal. 

I suggest not to push the healthy values rather emphasise the fun and taste rather than `healthy` or your young child could get bored or irritated and lose interest.

Use vegetables for the main course especially if the young child is not very hungry and won’t be interested in a side dish of vegetables. For example, you could try rice and vegetables or an omelette with zucchini or a vegetable pie.

A dip is your best ally to help young children enjoy eating raw vegetables (after they get their teeth!). It’s a nice idea for a snack to prepare a colourful dip and some vegetable sticks for dipping because the play-with-food (fun) strategy is always popular!

Letizia

Helping children to enjoy vegetables (5)