Breaking down the veggie veto

It seems that the biggest objection that children have to vegetables is not their taste, it's their texture! They like "crunch" more than "soft, cold, flabby and mushy". I suppose who wouldn't?

This is why lots of children will eat raw carrots and not cooked carrots. They will even eat raw cabbage in coleslaw, but boiled cabbage is another story. It can be a bit of a drag leaving aside the uncooked veg from the family meal, but we shouldn't complain. After all this is the best way to eat many vegetables - raw and complete with their full complement of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

If you're getting the thumbs down for veggies in your house the following are simple ideas from mums, dads and those little people who love to feel involved and participate in their own food choices.

Raw: Cut any raw firm vegetables into batons, strips, wedges or cubes. Prepare 2 or 3 contrasting brilliant colours e.g. batons of carrots, strips of red peppers, thin slices of cucumber.
Raw with Dips: Young children love to play with food. If they are showing no interest in raw vegetables on their own get them dipping and diving into hummus, guacamole, tzatziki or a mixture of mayo and yoghurt.
Raw with Fruit Bits: Let them make their own 'edible kebab men' with cocktail sticks and a little imagination - cubed apples, fresh or tinned pineapple, grapes are great alongside their raw vegetables.
Cooked but crunchy: Sugar snap peas are a big favourite because they're so sweet and crunchy when steamed for 2 to 3 minutes. Green beans, broccoli or carrots (lightly steamed and still crunchy) can be topped with a sizzling dollop of freshly made melt-in-the-mouth garlic butter.
Smash and mash: Most children love mashed potato. Start by adding very small (I mean very small) amounts of mashed turnip or parsnip or sweet potato into the mashed potato. When they don't detect it and have eaten it - congratulate them. This reinforces that they do eat and like vegetables and very gradually it allows you to increase the quantity of mashed vegetables into their potato.
Liquidise: It's amazing how many children will eat a smooth vegetable soup or sauce where they can't identify the 'bits'. Just don't call it vegetable soup - think of something that will tie in with their favourite game/ TV programme/ film/animal.
Juice: Transforming cucumber bits into a bright green frothy juice is lots of fun. Kids won't like the juice on its own but when you team it up with the juice of apples, pears or oranges you can have great success and again they're involved and are more likely to try and taste their amazing concoctions.
Roast: Roasted vegetables are firm and not soggy and watery. Keep the colours bright and appealing.
Stir fry: Stir fry red peppers and bean sprouts which really keep their crunch.

Sometimes we can end up so uptight about what our children won't eat, that we forget about motivating them by using simple praise and encouragement. All children have some food they like to eat that is reasonably healthy and nutritious - so encourage it for all it's worth.

Children love praise: "Well done - you ate all your scrambled eggs and beans, that's brilliant." and "You're so adventurous - imagine trying a spoon of that new vegetable you've never tasted before.You're wonderful."

Heap on the praise and stress the positive. Even children with a very limited repertoire of foods, can end up eating better if we employ the right tactics. Above all don't label them as "picky". This only encourages a child to see himself this way and live up to the label.

Even if it's true, don't reinforce their food rejecting instincts when you're totally frustrated. Remember, children may be generally anti-vegetable but they can be very keen on various fruits which contain the same vitamins and minerals for health. So think positively, keep trying and boost their health with extra fruit during their faddy phase.

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