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Why won't my children eat cooked vegetables?
We have a daughter of six and a son of four. My daughter got quite skinny over the summer hols as we went abroad and there was not the stuff she is used to. She and her brother do not like any cooked vegetables - I would like to encourage them, but how?
Also, how can I convince my son to try new foods? He likes just one type of sandwich: bread with salami and butter. Now that he's started reception I will need to give him a lunchbox, and I worry what to put in it. Should I give him the same every day? Or should I give him what I think he should eat and hope he will eat it? Or should I try to explain the benefits of eating all things?
Katy-AL
Just because they don't like any cooked veg, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't try uncooked veg. A lot of kids are like that; they don't like cooked carrots but they like raw carrots. So let them explore that by allowing them to choose one of each food group. How can you convince your son and daughter to try new foods? Let them be more in control of the food that they're eating. Give them the options and then let them choose between the healthy selections you show them.
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If your son just likes one type of sandwich, maybe you could introduce him to different types of breads. And it's not just white sandwich bread - what about brown pitta bread, or a wheat tortilla wrap? And let him choose different meats.
If you write down different options on a list, then he can choose from that. If you put one of each food group in his lunchbox (so you might want to put some carb in there, which could be the pitta bread, and some protein, which may be the turkey), then he can choose the fruit that he has with that. Or the dairy. It may be that he wants to have cheese or flavoured yoghurt.
Let him choose one of each food group so that he's got a say, rather than 'shall I give him what he should eat, and hope he will eat it?' If you write these foods down, or start to show them as they go shopping, then they could actually do a meal planner which will help them to know what's coming next.
Or you might want to sit down and say 'right, we're going to do a lunchbox planner from Monday to Friday.' And then you can buy the foods ahead of the game with them, so that they feel like they've got a choice. And there are actually a lot of things to choose from.
You can do anything in a lunchbox. Don't just think that you have to give your kids a sandwich and a piece of fruit. You can do cold salads for kids as well, like tuna pasta for example. That's all healthy. It doesn't have to be the old sandwich lunchbox meal.
Be creative and give little surprises - put a note or a little sticker in their box. I know one thing - it gives a kid a smile whilst having lunch.
All the best,
Jo
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