LONDON: Getting children to eat enough vegetables is a challenge that many parents face. Parenting groups are filled with questions such as, "Is it normal for my child to only eat beige foods?" Since children naturally prefer sweeter flavours from an early age-even breast milk contains natural sugars-convincing them to eat vegetables like broccoli or spinach can be difficult once they begin eating solid foods.
Despite this, a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables is essential for healthy growth. Poor nutrition has been linked to reduced concentration, behavioural problems, lower academic performance, and an increased risk of childhood obesity, which can lead to long-term health complications.
Researchers have identified several practical strategies that can encourage children to enjoy vegetables. Here are five approaches supported by scientific evidence.
1. Keep offering vegetables regularly
Repeated exposure is one of the most effective ways to help children accept vegetables. According to Professor Marion Hetherington from the University of Leeds, the preschool years are the best time to develop healthy eating habits. Children who are introduced to a wide range of vegetables before the age of five are generally more willing to eat them later in life.
Research suggests that children often need to try a new food several times before accepting it. Depending on the child, this may take anywhere from five to fifteen attempts. Younger infants may require fewer exposures, while preschool-aged children often become more cautious about trying unfamiliar foods.
Interestingly, this process can begin even before birth. Studies suggest that flavours from a mother's diet can pass into the amniotic fluid, potentially influencing a baby's taste preferences before they are born.
2. Serve vegetables before other foods
The timing of when vegetables are served can also influence how much children eat. Rather than encouraging children by saying vegetables are "healthy," experts suggest focusing on making them the first food offered during a meal.
Children tend to eat the foods they enjoy most first. If vegetables are served before higher-calorie foods, they are more likely to be eaten while children are still hungry. This simple change can also help prevent overeating.
Vegetables don't have to be limited to lunch or dinner either. Adding spinach or mushrooms to an omelette or including grated courgette in breakfast muffins can increase vegetable intake. A 2023 study in UK childcare centres found that children ate vegetables at breakfast more than 60% of the times they were offered.
3. Increase the amount of vegetables on the plate
Another effective strategy is to adjust meal proportions by serving larger portions of vegetables while slightly reducing higher-calorie ingredients.
Vegetables can be served as side dishes or blended into meals by adding grated carrots or courgettes to pasta sauces and casseroles. Studies have shown that increasing the amount of vegetables on children's plates encourages them to eat more without increasing the total amount of food consumed.
Research has also found that offering a variety of vegetables at mealtimes can encourage preschool children to choose healthier options while reducing their intake of less nutritious foods.
4. Make vegetables more appealing
Presentation plays an important role in children's food choices. Young children are naturally drawn to foods that look colourful, familiar, and fun.
Serving vegetables in creative shapes such as flowers, butterflies, or animals can increase their appeal. Studies have found that artistic food presentation encourages children to try unfamiliar foods.
Keeping ready-to-eat vegetables visible and easily accessible also helps. Research has shown that children are more likely to eat vegetables when they are pre-cut, neatly portioned, and presented together in one container rather than spread across several plates. Divided plates with separate compartments have also been associated with increased vegetable consumption among preschool children.
5. Eat together
Children often copy the eating habits of the adults around them. Parents who regularly eat fruits and vegetables are more likely to have children who develop similar preferences. In contrast, frequent consumption of fast food, sugary snacks, or skipping meals can influence children to adopt those same habits.
Eating meals together as a family several times each week has been associated with healthier eating patterns, better weight management, and higher fruit and vegetable intake. Long-term studies also suggest that children who regularly share family meals tend to be more physically active and consume fewer sugary drinks.
Although encouraging children to eat vegetables can require patience, small, consistent changes can make a meaningful difference. Repeated exposure, serving vegetables first, increasing their presence in meals, making them visually appealing, and modelling healthy eating habits are all evidence-based strategies that can help children develop healthier food preferences over time. (Agencies)
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