Veggies vs. Kids

We’ve all been there. We’ve seen the vegetables stay on the plate, pushed around with a fork, “accidentally” dropped on the floor. We’ve seen the dog eat them; even the cat will take a stab at them (my own cat, may he rest in peace, loved tomatoes). 

But the kids? In many families, it is a daily struggle to get the kids to eat their vegetables. Rather than being sneaky about inserting vegetables into the menu, let’s get to the heart of the matter. Make the vegetables taste good, look appealing, and let your children have a say in what they eat.

Controlling the Issue

In a 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers studied the parents of children between the ages of two and six, looking at the families’ fruit and vegetable intake. They found that children whose parents levy too much control over what the kids eat end up with food neophobia, or what you and I call “fussy eating.” When the parents exert too much control, the end result is that the child doesn’t want to eat that food at all. Sound familiar?

Instead of fighting over how many bites of broccoli your child should eat before allowing him to leave the table, let him take control over the vegetable. Put out a small dish of salt, a bowl of grated parmesan cheese, a bottle of olive oil or vinegar.  Even some bottled salad dressing in their favorite cup will do. Let the kids dress the vegetables at the table as they see fit. When the kids actually sprinkle their own salt or cheese, taking control over how they want their food to taste, look and feel, the chances are higher that they will eat it. Let them figure out how they want to eat their food. 

Deb Dupont, a mother of two boys ages 15 and 12, has been putting cinnamon sugar in a shaker on the table since her oldest son was five. 

“It started with steamed carrots, but I’ve let them put a little bit on other vegetables, too, throughout the years,” she said. “I figured a small amount of sugar is fine when trying to get them to eat their veggies.” 

Her sons have since stopped using the shaker and have moved on to other spices, such as nutmeg on their squash. “I like that this has also developed into trying new flavors.”

Get Creative, Get Colorful

A bowl of cauliflower will sit on the table, losing steam, eventually turning cold and forgotten. A bowl of mashed potatoes, meanwhile, empties out after five minutes.  Marry the two and be done with it. 

Boil the potatoes and the cauliflower together in a pot of chicken broth. Drain and mash as you would with plain potatoes. Add salt, pepper, a bit of shredded cheese or a tablespoon of cream. You can mash just about anything with the potatoes.  Broccoli, carrots, or parsnips work well, too. 

Get creative, using colorful vegetables to brighten up the meal. I recently added a beet to mashed potatoes and my daughter got a kick out of eating pink food. If green is the offending color, ask your kids what color they would prefer. Orange peppers?  Purple cauliflower? White asparagus? Next time you’re in the produce aisle, take a good look at the vegetables you’ve never purchased. There might be something unique you've never thought of before.

Eating Before Dinner

We were told by our own parents not to spoil our appetites. We find ourselves saying the same thing to our kids. But if your children are hungry, why not let them eat?

“TV time is during dinner prep,” Amy Rihl, a mother of two girls ages five and three, said. “I put out edamame in the shell and raw carrots to help curb their appetites. They love taking beans out of shells — sugar snaps are a favorite, too. My girls will usually eat a full serving of veggies or more during this time, so when we sit down to dinner I don't have to compete with the starch on the plate.”

Other mothers I’ve spoken with put out a small bowl of hummus and raw vegetables, such as celery and cucumbers, while the kids are doing their homework.  Another option is a plate of grape tomatoes, cut in half, with salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a piece of feta cheese on the side. Or a plate of sliced avocados with lemon juice. If sliced avocados look too offending, let the kids mash them up and call it guacamole.  Even the old stand-by of celery with cream cheese will suffice.

At the end of the day, or week, all we can really hope for is a healthy kid. If the vegetable is a snack, so be it. There is no hard, fast rule that says a vegetable must live on the dinner plate. Nor is it the end of the world if your child wants to take control over her own palate. The point is, as long as the vegetables are getting in the mouths in some way, shape or form, the war will eventually end and we can move on to bigger battles, such as cleaning up the toys. Good luck!