Original production by "The Secret Garden of the Herding Class"

Author: Jenny Catton Translator: Sunnisky

Image source: lifehack

After a busy day, you want to make a delicious meal that you know the whole family will love. But you also plan to make sure your child eats three to five kinds of vegetables. The problem is, every parent knows that persuading your child to eat vegetables isn't always so easy.

Well, here are 15 fairly simple tricks that can even turn the most resistant vegetable hater into a vegetable lover. Grab them all quickly!

1. Make It Fun to Look At

Okay, you're tired and hungry, that's fine. So I'm not going to suggest you recreate Frozen characters out of vegetables. But arranging food into a fun pattern or a smiley face takes just a minute, and it can make little ones incredibly happy. Who could resist eating a carrot nose or a smiley face made of peas?

Image source: pixabay

2. Please Yourself

Often the reason children refuse to eat something is actually very simple: they want to be in control. So at mealtimes, give them the power to choose: put the vegetables in a serving bowl and let your child help themselves freely. They'll blow your mind!

3. Let's Be Chefs Together

If children help while you're cooking, they're more likely to enjoy eating it. My little one loves using her special safety knife to cut mushrooms and tomatoes. Mixing, stirring, serving - that's all the fun for a child.

Image source: pixabay

4. Earn a Little Star

Okay, not everyone agrees that rewarding kids for eating vegetables is a good idea. After all, healthy eating shouldn't be treated as a chore to be endured. But for some children, earning a little star each day by trying a new food or eating three different types of vegetables might just be a big motivator.

5. Go Grocery Shopping Together

Have your child help you go shopping. They'll love learning about the different fruits and vegetables they come across, and you can let them pick one new ingredient each time. Then when you get home, they'll be eager to try the finished dish.

Image source: pixabay

6. Even Iron Man Eats Vegetables

When I was a child, my parents told me that as long as I ate green leafy vegetables, I'd grow up to be "as strong as Popeye." Nowadays, it doesn't matter who your child's favorite character, celebrity or athlete is - the trick is still the same. Tell your child that superheroes all eat vegetables, and they'll happily follow suit.

7. My Vegetables, My Choice

Find your favorite recipe book, or take a quick look online, and let your child choose the recipe themselves. Important things must be said three times! This is about giving them a sense of control. If it's a choice they helped make, they're more likely to eat a whole plate of it.

8. Eat a Rainbow

The most amazing thing about vegetables is that they're really fun. Tell your child about their different shapes, different colors and different textures, and encourage them to eat as many different colored foods as they can. You can even make a chart so they can check off the different colors they eat each day.

Image source: pixabay

9. Become a Farmer Yourself

A wonderful idea to get children fascinated by vegetables is to let them grow their own favorite vegetables. Even if your space only allows for a few pots and containers, or a windowsill planter, children can grow carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and even more.

10. Invite a Friend to Dinner

Isn't it strange how children often behave completely differently when they're with their friends? You can use this to your advantage. If your child has a friend who loves vegetables, borrow them for the evening.

11. Give a Little Vegetable Science Lesson

We're always telling children to eat vegetables, yet we keep forgetting to tell them why. Instead of simply brushing it off with "because they're good for you," teach them about the different vitamins found in different ingredients, so they can understand how vegetables keep us fit and healthy.

12. Give Them Fun Names

Whether it's Percy Peas or Cucumber Spears, children love giving ingredients quirky names. Fun names can also make young children less intimidated by vegetables.

13. Try Fancy Serving Dishes

If your child hates eating vegetables, try using different serving dishes to make it more interesting. For example, carrot sticks can be served standing upright in a mug instead of lying flat on a plate. Sectioned plates are a wonderful way to make mealtimes fun, and they make children feel less overwhelmed than when facing a big pile of vegetables on a traditional plate.

Image source: pixabay

14. The "Three in the Morning, Four in the Evening" Trick

If there's a vegetable your child declares they don't like, try preparing it a different way. For example, if they don't like boiled carrots, you might find they actually enjoy diced carrots. Don't like cooked mushrooms? Try giving them raw ones.

15. Don't Make a Big Deal of It

Don't turn mealtimes into a battlefield. If your child really doesn't like something, don't force them. If they feel that only this food gives them strength, they'll refuse to eat certain other things.

Of course, it's not always that easy, but you can take a relaxed approach, and just remember one thing: you can always try again the next day.

Image source: pixabay

This article was translated and compiled from an article on lifehack.org from March 2017.

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