It’s no secret that feeding little ones can feel like a full-time job. Their toast has to be cut into precise shapes, or it might as well be inedible. A single charred bagel crumb? Cue the drama. And if you dare serve their juice in the wrong cup, the situation escalates to emergency levels.
When it comes to nutrition, if my kids had it their way, it would be a never-ending feast of bread, cheese, and chocolate. And it looks like I’m not the only one in this boat. The CDC reports that a staggering 60% of kids aged 1 to 18 fail to meet the USDA’s guidelines for adequate fruit intake, while 93% fall short on veggies. So, if your child is avoiding broccoli like the plague, you’re definitely not alone.
As loving parents, we want to ensure our kids don’t fall into the green malnutrition trap (trust me, my grandmother has a childhood story about that). So, we get creative with hidden veggies. My little ones have never taken to those veggie pouches or yogurt blends with fruits and grains, but they’ll happily slurp down a banana-peanut butter smoothie, spinach and all. I’ve even been known to sneak spinach into muffins and omelets like a pro.
But hold on—experts have a different take on this whole veggie masquerade. A recent article from NPR suggests that the best way for kids to build healthy eating habits is to actually eat their fruits and veggies in their original forms. Gillian Fields, a clinical psychologist and picky-eating expert from the University of Brighton, emphasizes that kids should be looking at, tasting, and getting used to their veggies. After all, you can’t blend their greens until they’re off to college!
Experts agree that children need to familiarize themselves with the textures and smells of vegetables for lasting healthy eating habits. Lucy Bennett, a psychologist at University College London, says the key is repeated exposure. “No one has found a better method than just letting kids see the veggies,” she explains.
Research backs this up too. A study led by Bennett, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, found that kids may need to try a new food 8 to 15 times before deciding if they like it. Eight to fifteen times? Sounds great in theory, but who has the time (and the nerve) to clean up all the spills and spit-outs that come with it?
Bennett has developed a program for picky eaters called Tiny Tastes, where kids are offered pea-sized portions of veggies and earn stickers for trying them. No pressure, and the tastes are served outside of meal times to keep things relaxed. She’s seen fantastic results, with kids consuming more of those veggies three months later.
Even more intriguing is a recent study showing that kids are more inclined to eat their vegetables after playing with them. Preschoolers who engaged in “sensory play” with their veggies were more likely to eat them later. Meanwhile, kids who just watched adults handle the veggies or engaged in crafts were less likely to eat them.
It seems the bottom line is that kids need to form a connection with their vegetables—perhaps even spend some quality time getting to know them. I appreciate the theory, but as a parent of a couple of picky eaters, I can’t see all this advice going as smoothly as the experts suggest. One of my kiddos is particularly stubborn when it comes to food, and he’s wise to all my sneaky tactics. If he’s content to down a green smoothie a few times a week, I’m not too worried.
However, looking at the bigger picture of nutrition, it’s clear that eventually, kids need to eat their veggies the traditional way. Disguising them for too long won’t serve anyone well. That said, we should all take this advice with a grain of salt (pun intended) and figure out what truly works for our families when it comes to nutrition and, let’s be honest, our sanity.
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In summary, while we all strive to get our kids to eat their veggies, experts suggest that direct exposure is key. Through creative methods, patience, and perhaps a little playfulness, we can help our little ones build a healthy relationship with food.