I spend A LOT of time talking to families about nutrition and I hear one comment several times each day:
“Doctor, my child doesn’t like vegetables!”
I know parents struggle to give their kids healthy meals, but I suggest a frameshift. I endorse the Division of Responsibility in Feeding where parents decide what to serve and children decide what and how much they eat. This model does not include accomodating a child’s likes and dislikes.
Simply put, parents are in charge of providing healthy nutrition, and children LEARN TO EAT what is served.
When I talk to families about starting babies on solids, I also emphasize that it often takes a baby up to 15 tries to accept some foods, especially vegetables that are more bitter.
Evolutionarily, we are programmed to like sweet foods, but we can learn to eat bitter and other savory foods.
Now I know this is much easier said than done, and I get frequent complaints from my own kids when they don’t like the food I’ve made.
As I’ve said many times, parenting isn’t easy and it’s not our job to be our childrens’ friends. Rather, we are their teachers, supporters and loving guides.
There are ways to encourage healthy eating:
- Bring your kids to the farmers’ market and let them select produce
- Role model healthy eating and prioritize family meals
- Let your kids help with food prep and cooking
- Get involved in a community garden, or grow a few plants at home
- Check out Adventures in Veggieland, expert feeding advice from pediatric feeding therapist Melanie Potock.
Eating vegetables can be fun and delicious! I have found a lot of kid-friendly recipes that taste great and are healthy!