Making children eat fruits and vegetables is sometimes a tough task. They may be fussy and make meal table a battleground by refusing to eat greens. There are many reasons for this. Toddlers have more taste buds than adults. Therefore, they may feel that green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables are bitter to taste. Forcing them to eat what they don’t like may set off a negative reaction not only to greens but also to other vegetables and fruits.

Peer pressure and advertisements play an important role in determining what children eat and don’t eat. They make like a green vegetable on one day and hate the same vegetable the next day, depending on what the diet fad is at that point in time. Don’t pay attention to children’s fuss, at the same time; explain to them the advantage of eating greens and its relation to health and fitness. Never force children to eat a vegetable they dislike. Instead keep trying till you are successful in making them eat nutritious food.

Use clever strategies to encourage your children to eat greens. Make funny faces using beans, broccoli, peas and cabbage. Associate these faces with stories to arouse interest in them to eat. Make greens visually appealing by cutting them into strips, flowers and other shapes.

Disguise greens that children don’t like by mixing them with other ingredients like cheese, milk, pasta and pancakes. They can be blended into soups, added to stews, added to sauces or used in pancakes and pastry filling.

Instead of advising your children to eat greens, show them how they are grown and processed and explain to them how useful greens are in our daily diet. Involve children in growing vegetables, planning menus and cooking so that they will start liking greens on their own.

Set an example yourself by eating greens. Don’t distract children with desserts on the table till they complete their main course with green vegetables. Never bribe your children with cakes and desserts if they eat greens. Motivate them by giving some gift or by praising them for eating green vegetables.

If your children are too fussy, you may invite a child who eats greens for dinner. Praise their eating habits in front of your child and you may soon find your children copying their contemporaries.

The earlier children start eating greens, the foundation for better health and nourishment is assured.