What should I do if my child is picky about food and refuses to eat vegetables?

Most children are picky eaters, which is a headache for their parents. It won’t do much harm if a child is picky about food in the short term, but if they are picky eaters for a long time, it can easily lead to malnutrition and greatly affect their physical development. In particular, many children like to eat meat and particularly dislike vegetables. So how to solve this problem?

What should I do if my child is picky about food and refuses to eat vegetables?

1. Eat more vegetables and less meat in a meal.

Studies have found that if meat makes up half of the plate and vegetables make up only a tiny bit, children will naturally save the vegetables for last. If you double the amount of vegetables, your child will be more interested in them.

2. Make vegetables more interesting.

Research has found that giving children vegetables also requires a “selling point”. Often due to the development of their taste buds, children prefer sweet foods and are not interested in healthy vegetables such as tomatoes and pumpkins. Giving foods names like "X-ray Eye Carrot" or "Superhero Pumpkin" or shaping them can increase children's vegetable intake from 32% to 66%.

3. Don't just emphasize the benefits.

When it comes to food, children care most about taste; hunger and nutrition are irrelevant. A July 2014 study found that the easiest way to get children to eat vegetables is to avoid explanations such as "good for you" or "very nutritious."

4. Savor a rainbow of vegetables.

A large amount of psychological research has found that instead of asking children what vegetables they like to eat, help the little ones make the decision. Providing children with colorful "rainbow vegetables" is a good choice. For example, beets, corn, carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers.

5. Follow the "one bite rule."

Habits begin with the first try. You can tell your child, “Just eat one bite.” Then gradually increase the amount with each meal to get your child used to eating vegetables. The “one bite rule” is a simple breakthrough for getting kids to love vegetables. When implementing, parents should be firm and not bargain with their children.

6. Leverage the influence of your friends.

While parents sometimes fail to set an example for their children when it comes to eating vegetables, friends can do that. When dining with friends and children, they will, under the influence of their friends, eat vegetables that they do not like at home without hesitation. The role of "peer pressure" cannot be underestimated.

7. A combination of meat and vegetables.

A study in February this year found that pairing vegetables with children's favorite foods can greatly increase their vegetable intake. A comparative study abroad found that when cabbage is combined with cream cheese, children’s vegetable intake increases from 20% to 72%.