How to get your kids to eat veges!!
By Dr Marissa Kelaher
If you struggle to get your kids to eat veges, this post is for you đ
As working mums of young children, we know just how challenging it can be to try making sure your family eats well - while also juggling work, running a household and trying to look after yourself. It can be SOOO frustrating when your kids refuse to eat those meals you've just spent ages making đ
But as doctors who specialise in nutrition, we also know just HOW vital eating a balanced plant rich diet is for physical and mental health. And that the younger kids learn healthy eating habits, the easier it is to get them to stick with these through their lives, and the better their health will be both now and long-term. To learn more about why nutrition matters, and what is a healthy way to eat, have a look at our Transform Your Nutrition and Reboot Your Health courses.
SO WHY IS FOOD IMPORTANT?
Did you know, nutrition has been shown to be THE biggest factor that affects our health and longevity?! And eating more plant foods and less processed foods, has been repeatedly shown to be the most effective way to improve this!
Whole foods are far more nutrient dense than processed foods, giving little bodies what they need for healthy growth and immunity. They also donât contain preservatives, added sugar, artificial sweeteners or emulsifiers - chemical additives that are linked with negative health outcomes.
In addition to this, whole plant foods are absolutely key for a healthy gut microbiome, as the fibre from plants is what feeds those good bugs. And a healthy gut plays a massive role in overall health, risk of disease, and even immunity - please check out our gut health posts here and here if you want to learn more.
Over the years we've learnt a few strategies for success in guiding kids down the path towards healthy eating, so we decided to write this blog to share them.
Our aim is to give you some tips for feeding fussy, stubborn small people - and hopefully inspire you with new ideas to try at home, plus give you the confidence to keep trying (no matter how much food ends up on the floor)âŠ
And if you'd like to learn more about evidence based healthy nutrition in depth, including practical tips on meal planning, cooking whole foods, how to ensure you eat a balanced nutrient rich diet, what the science shows on healthy eating, and six weeks of quick delicious whole food plant based recipes the whole family will love, check out our Transform Your Nutrition and Reboot Your Health courses!
WHY DO WE NEED TO TEACH KIDS ABOUT FOOD?
All of us want our kids to grow up to learn how to have a healthy relationship with food, as well as find joy in cooking and sharing a meal. Food isn't just fuel - itâs also enjoyment, celebration, creativity and community.
With the rapid rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, we need to teach future generations ways to prevent these. Understanding where their food comes from, how their food choices impact the world around them and how to keep themselves as healthy and happy as possible is a key part of this.
We work as a family medicine doctors (GP), specialising in Lifestyle Medicine and nutrition. In our clinics, we teach people how to eat and live for optimal health.
We also run online health courses, covering how to do this in your own life, and the life of your family. These include mini focus courses, and a full 6 week Reboot course.
We both have plant based families, and have raised our kids on whole food plant-based diets. We are trained in the science of how to do this well, and how to ensure kids get the nutrition they need for healthy growth and development. However, our kids are also just normal kids, and have been through those picky eating stages just like anyone else - turning their noses up at everything and refusing to eat much of what they're given - so we get it!!
Taisiaâs oldest boy even requested toast for his third birthday dinner đ
We know just how hard it can be when kids happily eat a food one day, then throw it on the floor the next.
Yet research also shows only 52% of children in New Zealand age 2-14 eat the recommended amount of veges each day - and their diets are much higher in added sugar, salt, ultra-processed foods, and unhealthy fats than they should be. Plus the stats are getting worse each time we look, as are the statistics on chronic disease...
Even the smallest steps towards including more whole real foods can make an incredible difference to little bodies and the habits they maintain over the years.
So here are our top tips to get more whole foods into small people:
OUR TOP TIPS TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY EATING
FOCUS ON THE âWHEN â AND âWHAT â
1. You only have control over the âwhenâ and âwhatâ, don't sweat the rest.
Meal times can be incredibly stressful at times, especially with picky eaters!! When you're feeling frustrated that your kids won't eat something, remember the âwhatâ, âwhenâ, âwhichâ and âhow muchâ rules.
As a parent you have control over âwhenâ your child eats and âwhatâ is served.
The child's role is to decide which foods they will eat and how much.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink and toddlers can be more stubborn than any donkey đ
Build a plate for your child that incorporates some healthy foods you know they like and then also offer something new or âyet to be likedâ foods. The trick is not to panic if they don't eat much for a meal, try to avoid offering something else less nutritious (like white toast), as they are likely to make up for the calories with healthier foods later in the day.
And repetition is key - research shows it can take up to 12 exposures to a new food for a child to like it, so even if they refuse it the first few times, keep offering it (but don't make it into a big deal, or punish them for not eating).
IT TAKES TIME TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT TASTES AND TEXTURES
2. New food is alien and must be analysed.
For young children, new foods can be overwhelming. Kids use all of their senses to explore food, they are very mindful eaters!
How it feels, what it looks like, how it smells, what it sounds like when you poke it - all of this enquiry must first be conducted before it will receive the OK to be eaten. It's a protective mechanism to keep kids safe (great when you're avoiding poisonous plants, not so great when you're trying to get them to eat broccolli đ)
Itâs SO important we give our children the chance to analyse their food, try it, and gain confidence to allow them to do what their brains are designed to do. This often means serving a new food over and over, in different forms if possible (ie raw, cooked, plain, with sauces etc etc) and trying to stay calm and unpressured so they don't associate food with anger, punishment, or stress.
DONâT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
3. It is ok to hate some foods like brussel sprouts.
Our kids actually like brussel sprouts but it is totally ok if your child has some foods they hate.
We all have some foods we don't fancy!!
So long as your kids are eating a diversity of whole plant foods, they don't have to like them all - it's not a deal breaker đ
We use the 80/20 rule - if 80% of their diet is nutritious whole mostly plant food, the 20% is less important. It's the overall pattern that counts most, the fine details can come later.
We teach more about what a healthy eating pattern is, and where the best areas are to focus your energy, in our Nutrition and Reboot courses (plus recipes and meal plans to make it easy)
ADD IN PLAY AND MAKE FOOD FUN
4. Make it fun.
Channel your inner child when you serve food to kids!! It can make it fun for you, and more appealing for them, plus it helps create positive associations with healthy foods.
If you are able to, try be enthusiastic about eating, make food colourful, and make it a happy experience rather than a stressful one. Many people have negative associations with food for various reasons, and creating fun and play can actually help you too!!
Kids love choice, so giving them two options can be a winner. Ie if you're having several different veges in a meal, offer them two or three and let them choose. If you have the time, try things like using cookie cutters to make vegetables (such as cucumber) into fun shapes, spiralising hard veges such as carrots, or arrange food on their plate in funny faces or patterns.
And if you don't have time at the end of a busy day that's also OK - life isn't always like Instagram đ
Talking positively about food is also really important. Try to avoid statements like âeat your broccoli, it will make you big and strongâ, as we all know no one likes to be told what to do - especially kids.
Try using descriptive words instead, such as, âyum, this apple sounds so tasty and crunchy when you take a biteâ. This can help make food sound exciting, which stimulates curiosity and wanting to try new things.
This also help grown ups too - food is meant to be for enjoyment and pleasure, not deprivation or punishment. Check out our mindful eating blog post if you'd like to learn more
We call broccoli âbaby treesâ, and sometimes pretend to be dinosaurs eating our broccoli trees (while making dinosaur sounds if we're feeling inspired đ). Or make âmonster smoothiesâ (green smoothies). Kids love play, this is how they learn, and food is no exception!!! Their toys also often love veges too, so âfeeding them tooâ at the dinner table to role play can be a winner!!
KIDS WILL MIRROR WHAT YOU DO..
5. Which brings us to our next tip, role modeling.
Children's brains are wired to observe and copy adult role models. Most parents learn this the hard way when our preschoolers start saying âcrap!â (or worse) everytime something upsets them đ.
This means is it SO SO super important for your kids to see you eating healthy foods, as well as seeing you enjoy food and talk about it in a positive way.
It's really not fair to have rules for you that are different for them!!
And for all the dads out there - if cooking or food prep is not your thing (in saying this there are plenty of amazing male cooks - our husbands included!) - then one of the best things you can do for your kids, is sit with them at meal times (phones, distractions and work put aside) and show them how you eat and enjoy healthy meals and snacks. Kids look up to their dads SO much, and you can have a far more powerful influence on their eating habits than you thinkâŠ
BE CONSCIOUS WHEN YOU SHOP
6. Remember also that what you bring home (or order online) is what you and your kids will eat.
While this is not intended to come across as judgemental (as we appreciate everyone's lives, situations, and finances are different, and you may be going through a tough time right now)⊠if you serve potato chips and chicken nuggets for dinner, that's what your kids will get used to eating and understandably kick up a fuss if you suddenly try change it to tofu or broccolli!!! While these are easy options and OK for occasional treats or times when you don't have the money or energy to cook meals from scratch, if it's what you eat every day, then this creates a norm that this is what dinner involves. If you are buying chicken nuggets then there is a high chance that your children will eat chicken nuggets!!
While life is busy and cooking elaborate healthy meals every night isn't a reality for many of us, there are also so many healthy meal options that are just as easy (and often cheaper) to make!!
Canned beans, frozen chopped veges, brown rice, and whole grains are great cheap foods. And eating seasonally is often far cheaper than buying imported foods.
Things like bulk prepping foods on weekends and freezing extras, having a weekly meal plan and shopping list, buying canned or dried goods on sale to have them as pantry staples, are all great ways to save money. Many areas also have seasonal vege delivery boxes which can be a great deal, as are farmers markets.
While it takes a bit of extra work initially to experiment and find some favourite meals, it makes life so much easier in the long run (not to mention health much better!). Plus the time, energy, and money saved with less illness (and better quality of life) due to better health and nutrition easily pays for itself in the long run!
There are lots of great healthy, yummy, affordable meals that are quick to prepare on websites such as Doctors For Nutrition (linked at the end of this post), and we also have a selection of free ones on our website here, as well as a full six week family friendly meal plan in our Nutrition and Reboot courses
GET EVERYONE INVOLVED
7. Make food a family affair.
If you get kids involved in buying, preparing and cooking healthy foods and they will be much more likely to eat them. Growing them in a garden if you're able to is an added bonus! Community gardens are wonderful for this if you don't have room for your own - plus they have the added benefit of connecting with others and sharing food and time.
Cooking is also an essential basic skill for a healthy life, and many famous chefs start off learning in the family kitchen.
Make meals a priority and sit down together as a family, at least once a day.
Turn off the TV, focus on each other, and have a chat while you role model eating healthy whole food meals. This has benefits far beyond just the food - we enjoy our meals more, are less likely to overeat or comfort eat, and even digest food better when we eat with company and without distraction (plus it reduces our stress hormones!) .
For older kids, talk to them about your values and why you choose to eat this way, so they can be better informed to make healthy food choices of their own as they grow older. It doesn't have to be a lecture, you can make it a normal part of conversation and life - kids are naturally curious and love learning the how and why!
The more we teach kids about food, healthy eating, and healthy behaviours, the more likely they are to carry these into their adult lives, and the lives of their families.
It really does have the power to change their future, and the future of our communities and planet.
COMMON QUESTIONS
And lastly, here's some common questions people have about cooking more plant based meals.
1. Will it take longer to prepare meals?
No. Itâs all about planning.
If you take an hour on the weekend to plan your meals for the week and make a shopping list, this will save you SO MUCH wasted time travelling back and forth to the supermarket. Plus it means you're far more likely to buy healthy foods, as you aren't shopping or making decisions when you're tired and hungry. It will also help with the 5pm panic when the kids are getting hangry and you need to find something for dinner!!
Meal planning apps are great, we also have a full 6 week family friendly meal plan in our Transform your Nutrition and Reboot courses, complete with shopping lists and practical tips
Meal prepping also helps - if you spend some dedicated time each week cutting up some vegetables, cooking some whole grains etc when itâs time to cook, half the work is done and overall youâre doing a lot less cleaning and washing up!
2. Are plant-based meals more expensive?
No, a recent study compared a predominantly plant based shopping basket with a standard Australian shopping basket and found that a healthy plant predominant diet was an achievable and cheaper option when shopping at major retail outlets.
If you look through your supermarket- meat and dairy are often the most expensive items. Think of how many chickpea falafel meals you could make at an equivalent cost of a $12 block of cheese đ
There are also the hidden costs of food and time - better health via better nutrition means less sick days, fewer doctorâs visits, and more energy to be productive and prioritise other areas of health.
Not to mention the hidden cost of animal products on the environment (including deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and the impact on waterways), mistreatment of animals, antibiotic resistance etc - what we eat doesnât just impact us, it impacts the world around us, and the future we create for our children.
3. Are plant-based foods harder to find?
Visiting your local green grocer and bulk bin shop will give you a huge range of foods to choose from. And as we mentioned, most food retains excellent nutrition in its frozen state, making frozen fruit and veggies easy to source year round.
Which brings us to bulk cooking.
If you can try to plan two meals a week where you can cook a double or triple batch that freeze well, this gives you quick easy options for late nights or when everyone is tired. Things like lentil spaghetti bolognese sauce, felafel, bean chilli, or black bean burgers are all great to bulk cook and freeze.
This means two days a week you can just grab something out of the freezer, making dinner super easy and still nutritious (and saves on dishes!). We teach more about how to meal plan and bulk cook in our Nutrition and Reboot courses, and include lots of easy meals that are great for bulk preparation.
4. What if I don't think my family would cut down on meat?
When we look at health benefits and foods, it is clear that it is all about averages and the long game.
Some days it might feel like your toddler has only eaten peanut butter sandwiches all day - we use the âwhat they eat in a week â guide rather than focusing on the day to day. Ie if they eat veges and fruit some days but not others, it often evens out.
Just shifting to a few plant based meals a week to start with still has huge health benefits, it doesnât have to be all or nothing! Every little change are up to create the overall picture.
5. How do I get started?
Check out the great resources at the end of this article to inspire some yummy veggie meals at your place.
And if you want to learn more, please check out our Transform Your Nutrition or Reboot your Health courses - weâd love you to join us to create a happier healthier future!
Here are our favourite four ways to get greens into kidsâ tummies:
Strawberry and yoghurt Iceblocks
Avocado, walnut and greens pasta sauce
And remember - it takes a village to raise a child.
While what you do at home is super important (like making dinosaur noises while eating broccoli, unless you have teenagers who may be super embarrassed!!), we also need to support each other and advocate for change. Talk to your friends, create cooking clubs, join online groups, and find your tribe. And if it's something you are passionate about, talk to your local school or kindy about the benefits of whole plant foods, get involved in community events, or even write to your local council about ideas you have.
There are so many ways to create change, and big things can come from small steps!!!
Resources:
Doctorâs for nutrition :
https://www.doctorsfornutrition.org/general-public/getting-started/recipes/#watch
Plant based juniors: two registered dietitians and mums. https://plantbasedjuniors.com/
The plant based paediatrian: Dr Jackie Busse https://www.plantbasedpediatrician.com/
The plant powered doctor: Dr Gemma Newman: https://gemmanewman.com/learn-more#kids
21 day vegan kickstart
https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/21-day-vegan-kickstart-program-launches-new-website-and-phone-app
References:
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https://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-milk-good-for-our-bones/
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6331678/
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https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/annual-update-key-results-2017-18-new-zealand-health-survey
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