Healthy Snacking
Question
My 4-year-old daughter does not like to eat fruits and vegetables. I was wondering if there is a way I can get her to eat them without her hating me in the process. I give her a vitamin every day but I am still concerned that she is not getting the nutrients she needs.
Dr. Greene's Answer
Forcing specific foods on children usually backlashes on you. Even if you get kids to eat them, they will often not like them when they are older.
What we’ve recently done with our 4-year-old son who isn’t fond of veggies is to let him taste a wide variety of veggies and pick which ones he would like us to serve often. He will eat at least one serving of veggies every day, but he gets to pick which one he likes the most. I have four kids and they each have a different favorite vegetable.
I encourage families to grow a garden together and to involve their children in cooking what they grow. Children will often get excited to eat fruits and vegetables if they are involved in growing and preparing them.
You can also sneak veggies into breads and muffins and fruits into smoothies. You can find other delicious ways to cook fruits and vegetables in our recipe section.
Alan Greene MD
Our goal is to improve children's health by inspiring parents to become knowledgable partners who can work with their children's physicians in new and rich ways.