Does the child refuse to eat fruits and vegetables?

Here are 5 creative solutions

How do you get children to try fruits and vegetables without getting into unnecessary wars?

Here are some creative solutions that always (but always) work

In collaboration with the Galil company

08/28/2022

Sunday, August 28, 2022, 12:59 p.m

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It is possible!

A boy eats an avocado (Photo: ShutterStock)

Every parent knows that fruits and vegetables are an important and necessary part of a child's diet, but almost every parent also knows that it is not easy to get children to eat these health bombs regularly.

Many children are put off by the taste or texture of fruits and vegetables, and therefore refuse to try them.

The good news is that children's palates are one that gets used to both flavors and textures, and all that is needed to get used to it is simply to be exposed a few times.

Once you pass the initial hurdle and make children taste fruits and vegetables a few times - the chances that they will become a regular part of their diet increases significantly.

So here comes the question that bothers a lot of parents - so how do you get children to try fruits and vegetables without getting into unnecessary wars?

Here are some creative solutions that always work.

Open your head

Many parents try time and time again to convince their children to eat cucumber and tomato for dinner, but the truth is that children can gain vitamins and minerals from many types of vegetables - and also from fruits.

Who said that on the dinner table you can only put the same two types of vegetables and not a plate rich in tempting fruits?

Pear, banana, apple, even surprise them with a lychee or nectarine.

Remember that children have a natural curiosity, and fresh, colorful and tempting fruits - will make them taste.

Out of the box.

A decorated plate with vegetables and vegetables (Photo: ShutterStock)

Even in vegetables you can open your mind, even if your child does not like boiled broccoli, there is a good chance that he will like it baked.

The more you vary the way of cooking and the methods of preparation, the greater the chance that your child will find something he likes.

And another little tip in this regard - when you choose fruits and vegetables, note that you are choosing an Israeli fruit - you will be able to identify it by the scarecrow symbol of the Galil company.

Fresh farm produce from the local market will ensure tastier, fresher and more nutritious fruit.

Be consistent

One of the most important rules is to continue to serve fruits and vegetables at every meal, even if the children do not attack the plate.

Serve in the center of the table a plate rich in fruits and vegetables, colorful and tempting, and eat from it yourself, without speeches and preaching.

The repeated exposure to vegetables and fruits, and your personal example will do the job over time.

Don't lose hope.

By the way, a study published last year recommends that parents even increase the amount of vegetables on the plate.

The researchers found that larger servings of vegetables resulted in children increasing their vegetable intake by an average of 68 percent (an additional 21 grams), in a 4-week trial involving 67 children ages 3 to 5.

Discover creativity

Parents sometimes have a tendency to take mealtime very seriously and memorize the constant phrase "don't play with food", but the truth is that creativity and a lighter approach will make your children like fruits and vegetables more.

Let the children create faces from vegetables, design special fruit plates, squeeze a lemon and even cut the salad for the meal themselves, this may make the preparation process longer and smoother, but will also help their children overcome the initial reluctance to taste.

And as a reminder, repeated exposure to new tastes is the key to a healthy diet.

On video: ideas for a unique dinner (PR)

The child still does not taste?

Name the form of submission

An Australian study found that children's willingness to eat vegetables largely depends on how they are served.

Researchers from the Center for Advanced Sensory Science at Deakin University in Australia tested their theory on a group of 72 preschool-aged children.

Each of the children who participated in the experiment was given a box that contained 500 grams of peeled carrots on one day, while on one day they were given a box that contained the same amount of carrots cut into pieces.

The children were given 10 minutes to eat to their heart's content from the vegetables in the box each day.

The results were unequivocal - the whole peeled carrot was more popular among the children, who chose to eat more of it.

It may sound strange, but if nothing else works - it's worth a try, isn't it?

Combine fruits between meals as well

To make the fruits and vegetables a part of the routine, combine them also as a snack between meals?

The child spends time from kindergarten and a little hungry?

Instead of pulling out a snack, offer him a banana.

The profit here is twofold - it is easy to throw it in the bag, just like a snack, it is satisfying, nutritious and sweet.

Bananas are rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, essential amino acids, phytochemicals, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins.

• health

Tags

• vegetables

• fruits