Won't Eat Vegetables!
My 5-yr-old, 3-yr-old and 2-yr-old will not eat vegetables. I've even taken them to therapists to help the problem. I am a single parent and I'm nearly always feeding them junk food, e.g McDonalds or Burger King. Please help!
Vardit Kohn replies:
Weaning children off junk food is no easy task, and the first step for doing it successfully begins with a conscious decision to stop feeding them rubbish. No one can do it but you. Your children depend on you for guidance, in food as in all other matters, so you need to decide what kind of guidance you wish to give and be consistent about it. If you want them to eat vegetables, convey the message gently yet clearly and firmly. Naturally, a personal example works best. 'Do as I say, not as I do' simply won't be good enough.
Getting your children to eat vegetables will not happen overnight, so accept that the conversion to healthier eating will take time and determination. An easy place to start is fresh vegetable juices, now widely available both in supermarkets and in snack and sandwich shops. As a next step, use the fresh counters of the supermarket for inspiration, especially if you have little or no time for cooking. For instance, buy fresh vegetable soups that, being blended, are not as off-putting to the veg-averse.
In addition, every child tends to have one or two vegetables that they are willing to eat, even if they won't venture near any other. Find out with your children, through experimentation if needed, what these are, and make sure you feed them to your children regularly. Small vegetables tend to be a favourite with kids: cherry tomatoes, snack cucumbers, bite-size peppers, tiny round carrots, even fresh peas. Take them with you, just the once, to the supermarket and allow each child to choose just one vegetable that they will be willing to eat or try. They may not eat it in the end, but at least they'll recognise the existence of the veggie food group.
Lastly, be prepared not to give in easily. Avoid offering junk food, dessert or sweet treats if your children did not eat their veg portion, however small. Explain the importance of healthy eating to them without making too much of a fuss about it. The trick is to turn vegetables into such a natural part of your diet, however minimal, that a meal without them would feel incomplete. Good luck!
