A friend recently asked me about her daughter’s sudden refusal to eat fruit and vegetables. Having survived the occasional food fight with my son, I felt qualified to offer her a few tips. For anyone else facing challenges with toddlers and produce, here’s what I shared with her.
First of all, do not obsess over one meal. It’s easy to believe that your child’s health will be severely compromised if she doesn’t eat the sweet potato you lovingly prepared for dinner. However, the reality is that a few incomplete meals are not the end of the world. Most nutritionists recommend taking a long-term view of your child’s eating habits. Instead of focusing on a single meal, evaluate her overall intake over a few days before making a judgment.
Remember, too, that the more fuss you make, the more attention your toddler gets. The dinner table is the perfect place for your child to test limits and seek attention, whether positive or negative. Try not to make a big deal out of what’s left on the plate.
Tips for Making Fruits and Vegetables More Appealing
Generally speaking, vegetables are harder to sell than fruit. But one of the keys to getting little ones to eat both is offering a wide variety of options. Be persistent—while a child might reject something at first, if you keep trying, one day he’ll surprise you by eating it.
Eat fruit and vegetables with your child. If you don’t set an example by eating these foods yourself, you can’t expect your child to do it.
Some experts recommend talking to your child about different fruits and vegetables, explaining what they are and why you like them. Children love to learn, so if they understand what the new food is, they may be more encouraged to eat it (or so the theory goes).
I’ve heard some parents suggest making the food “fun” by arranging fruits and vegetables on your child’s plate in the shape of a face or another playful design. Personally, I can’t recommend this approach, as my one attempt at “fun” food was far from successful.
When planning meals, remember that kids love color. The more colors (i.e., produce) you present, the more exciting and tempting the meal will be.
Get your child involved in food preparation. Toddlers love water—after you’ve given some carrots or potatoes a thorough wash, ask your child to finish the job. Let her put toppings on a pizza, or ask him to peel a banana before you add it to a fruit shake. Let her drop a handful of blueberries into the muffin batter. You get the idea.
Where possible, skip the blender—serve fruit and vegetables as finger foods rather than purees. A child is more likely to try something if she can feed herself with a small cube, rather than having someone spoon-feed her mushy food. Some people recommend using dips to entice children to eat vegetables. I tried to avoid this to prevent my son from associating vegetables with fatty or salty sauces, but dressings and dips are often the only recourse for desperate parents.
If all else fails, try subterfuge. For this tactic, you may need that blender. Add pureed vegetables to sauces, soups, hamburgers, or meatloaf. I had success by calling a fruit shake “pudding.” You can also take a page out of my mother’s book—she snuck peas and carrots into our chocolate shakes, and my sister and I were none the wiser.
