The Preschooler

Eat Your Vegetables

My first-born is a very picky eater.  He enjoys pizza, peanut-butter and jelly, and a short list of other typical “kid” foods.  My second child will eat just about anything, including dishes I would go near.  Kim chee, clam chowder, and pickles are among his top food picks.  Neither of my children like to eat very many vegetables.

Meal times used to be very stressful in our home.  Like many parents, we had resorted to dessert bribes and a you-must-try-it policy.  However, after speaking with a friend, who happens to be a published nutritionist, we have taken different approach to meal times.

Now, instead of preparing plates of food for our children, we place all of the food in dishes on the table.  Each member of the family, including the children, may help themselves to the items they would like to eat.  No one is forced to eat anything is served, but the food on the table are the only choices at the meal.  We try to make sure there are one or two items that the kids will definitely eat, such as bread and applesauce, but we also include new dishes as well.  We try not to introduce more than one new food at a time, and we offer new foods several times.

At first, I was worried that my kids would never put a vegetable on their plate or be willing to try new foods.  However, my friend assured us that, eventually, after seeing my husband and I enjoying a variety of foods, they would want to try them too.  The purpose, she said, is to allow them to make healthy food choices on their own.  Parents will not always be there to prepare a child’s plate so it is important for them to learn this skill.

Since implementing this philosophy about a year ago, our meals have become much less stressful.  My children still do not eat a lot of vegetables, but I have definitely seen them trying a much wider variety of foods.  They are making food choices on their own, and we are all reaping the rewards.

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Written by Laura on September 7, 2011