How to Get Your Child to Love to Eat Vegetables
If your child does not like to eat vegetables, this is not your own problems. Many parents find it difficult to provide vegetables to their children. Children often do not like to eat vegetables because vegetables are often coarse textured and sometimes difficult to chew. In addition instant lifestyle often has a pattern of unhealthy eating. The children prefer to eat junk food. Of course these foods are not healthy because it contains too much salt, too much fat, and contain little fiber. Fiber contained in vegetables of course very important for the health of our bodies. Besides containing many nutrients and vitamins, fiber is in vegetables may also prevent constipation.
Parents must be more creative and patient, things like this can not be enforced because it takes time. Here are some tips you can do when your child does not want to eat vegetables:
1. Young children usually like to imitate the actions of others, especially the mother and father. When families eat together, put various vegetables on your plate, and then explains to the children the current name of the vegetables they eat. You can also tell the children about health benefits of vegetables. We can tell the child, for example, “Look, the little rabbit eyes lit up because they loved to eat carrots”. Or, we can tell them that Popeye loves to eat spinach. On another occasion, encourage children to read books on the theme of the vegetables so that they better understand the importance of eating vegetables.
2. The food should look attractive. Serve vegetables as attractive as possible to create a children’s appetite. For example, arrange vegetables in different variations in shape, color, and taste on the plate so that interesting to look at and eat or if you cook the soup you can cut a piece of carrot like sunflower. Or you can make the vegetables into the shape of trees, animal, car, face and many things. You can use a variety of vegetables such as carrots, green beans, corn, cucumber or parsley that looks more attractive and more colorful. If necessary, be creative with your child. These activities is not only fun but also can stimulate the imagination.
3. You can hide vegetables in food or drink. You can hide sweet corn or pieces of carrots as a mixed salad or sandwiches. Another alternative, presented in the form of juice, like carrot juice, or tomato, mixed with a little sugar or honey. Even you can add small pieces of vegetables in ice cream, milkshake or yogurt as a toping. Do not forget; decorate the glass with small umbrella, a straw color or other creations, so that looks interesting.
4. Bring your child in food processing would be very nice. Even 3 years old and above can take to grow your own vegetables in the yard or buy at the supermarket and let them choose which vegetables they want. In fact, you can cook the vegetables together in the kitchen. For example, your child helps wash vegetables or picking spinach; these activities would be fun for them.
Besides vegetables, you can actually give fruit to your daily fiber needs. But you should not leave the vegetables. You have to keep trying and patience to give your child vegetables, but should not be forced. When forced, the child will feel the atmosphere at meal times become uncomfortable, even stressful, so that eventually the child will not eat at all.
