How to Encourage Your Child to Eat Vegetables

Image Source: wikimedia.org

Image Source:
wikimedia.org

How to Encourage Your Child to Eat Vegetables

It is not easy to tell your child to eat vegetables especially if he is used to eating in fast food restaurants. He only knows fried chicken, burger, and fries. Worried because he is not eating healthy, you should begin including veggies in his daily meals. If you have no idea how, here are easy ways to encourage him:

1. Make a proper introduction.

The best way to let your child appreciate greens is to properly introduce each of them. Bring him to the vegetable section of the supermarket. Pick about 10 kinds and name them. Ask him to repeat what you say so he can easily remember. The next week, review him by picking the same pieces and asking him to identify them again. Do this until he is able to recognize most of the vegetables.

2. Offer him something whenever he eats your veggie specialties.
Tots love being rewarded so it may help if you tell him what he can get out of consuming greens. For instance, promise him that the family will go swimming or camping if he is able to consume every veggie that you prepare him for the whole month. Or, you will watch his favorite cartoon movie with him. Do this until he gets to enjoy eating them even without the rewards.

3. Inform your kid about the health benefits of eating vegetables.
Aside from rewarding him, you should also enlighten him about what vegetables can do to his body. Explain to him that his body needs good nutrition and these are the kinds of foods that will supply his body with the necessary nutrients. Educate him about obesity and its effects to his health, and more important, tell him that he can avoid being obese by eating veggies. Likewise, inform him that if he is healthy, he can expect to perform better in school because he is well nourished.

4. See to it that you and your spouse, as well as the other members of the household eat greens.
How will you make your child believe what you say if you or the other household members are not taking in veggies? Your rule should apply to everyone. Have everyone set as a good example.

5. Ask your child to help you in preparing your veggie recipes.
Each time you are cooking vegetables, request him to help you out in the preparation. Ask him to get everything you need in the fridge. Explain to him what you are doing and what it is for. Let him taste them while they are cooking. Always imply that both of you cooked them so he will feel proud and consequently eat them.

How to Encourage Your Child to Eat Vegetables

Remember not to force him to eat veggies because it is more likely that he will not like to eat them because he feels pressured. The proper word to guide you is “encourage”—not “scold” or “force”. Just act as normal as you can each time you serve him with these foods.

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