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How to get your kid to eat more veggies |
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Speaking of dangling carrots, let’s talk about encouraging children to eat vegetables. It’s something we know is good for their development, but it’s a daily negotiation that can lead to power struggles and frustration on all sides.
In a recent episode, we asked two experts for tips on getting kids to become more accepting of veggies. One of my favorite suggestions dovetails nicely with Katy Milkman’s idea of “temptation bundling.” It’s called “flavor-flavor conditioning.” Basically, you pair the new veggie with a flavor you know they already enjoy. For example, if they love honey, you can sweeten up some carrots they've been suspicious of by roasting them with some. This time, it's a literal spoonful of sugar. 🥕🍯
Here are more creative strategies from Juliana Cohen, director of the Center for Health Inclusion Research and Practice at Merrimack College and Kelsey Lloyd, a nutritionist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.:
🥬 Don’t give up! X’s 10
First, know that “it's really common for very little kids to have neophobia, which is really this fear of trying new foods,” says Juliana. She says it often takes eight to 10 exposures before a kid will accept a new food. Talk about persistence.
An exposure to a food can come in a lot of different forms. To go back to the carrot example: Maybe you eat carrots in front of your kids and offer them one. Maybe you cook the carrot in a stir fry or serve it with peanut butter. You could shred the carrot into a muffin. Just keep trying.
❎ Avoid pressure and bribes
Try not to put pressure on your kid to eat something or insist that they finish their peas before they get up from the table. Even promising a dessert if they finish their brussels can backfire. Kelsey explains that you don’t want to set up vegetables as the food they have to “get through” to get the “good stuff.”
“Creating that reward system in the long run can be a little detrimental in terms of how we view food,” she says. Instead, she recommends creating “no pressure” situations where kids are consistently offered different vegetables.
💚 Model a love of veg
Kids are sponges. If they see you eating and enjoying veggies, that will make an impression on them. Juliana suggests talking about the food as you taste it, like “oh this is so crunchy and sweet,” for example. Also try asking questions, like “what do you think this might taste like?”
Also, trust that modeling doesn’t just have to come from you. If your kid eats school lunch, they’re going to see their friends trying things they might reject. Sometimes peer pressure can be helpful!
🍽 Go green first thing
Offer your kids fruits and veggies before they have a chance to fill up on other stuff. Hors d'oeuvres, anyone? Juliana says her research in schools supports the idea that this approach increases veggie consumption.
🥳 Amp up the fun and go easy on yourself
Play into your kid’s curiosity and focus on creating positive associations with food. Try giving food silly names, like “X-ray vision” carrots, says Juliana. Or turn broccoli into little trees on the plate. As we’ve explored, making something fun can be motivating.
Even for a dietician like Kelsey, it took her some time to like veggies. “I know a lot of kids, myself included, really didn't start eating vegetables until maybe early middle school.”
Learning to try and accept new foods is a process. “Oftentimes we get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae when really it's a lifetime piece of work,” says Kelsey. “Parents don't have to beat themselves up if kids don't like peas on the first try.” |
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More Life Kit episodes on expanding your horizons |
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Find a hobby that’s a good fit
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💌 Your Turn: What’s your advice on making friends?
Do you have advice on finding community or making friends in a new place? Email your response to lifekit@npr.org with the subject line “Community” by Friday, March 24, 2023 and include your name and location. We may feature your response in a story on NPR. |
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