How do I get my eight year old child to eat fruits and vegtibles?

Question

My eight year old child is so picky. She won`t eat a lot of foods that are good for her. What should I do?

Answer 1

You're the Mom, right? If you let your daughter be in charge, then she will be.

Answer 2

There have been so many good suggestions already (ie make nothing else available, dress them up in smoothies or with peanut butter, etc.)

I would only like to add that if she is not getting the proper nutrient from her diet, she really should be taking a supplement. To maintain health, we need a diversity of vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, and other nutrients. Although we receive many of these nutrients from our diets, its impractical and virtually impossible to obtain an optimal dose through diet alone, especially if that diet is limited in fruits and vegetables.

I have two boys. One will at least try and eat ANYTHING. The other will try NOTHING new and has a very sensative palet. I give them both nutritional supplements and they are the picture of good health!

Answer 3

We always put a little serving of vegetables on our kids plates, whether they eat it or not. We have noticed, that after a few times of putting it on their plate and them not eating it..they will eventually try it. Setting a good example is also important, if they see you eating it, they are more likely to try it. We put cheese on alot of cooked veggies..ie broccoli, green beans, even peas & do candied steamed carrots. We try lots of different dressings on a salad & the boys love veggie pizzas. Be creative & find what works for your child.

Answer 4

Make it so that fruits and vegetables are the few options she has.

If she knows she can have potato chips in the pantry with just a little bit of whining, she'll never eat the healthy foods.

Answer 5

don't give her options. keep the junk food out of the house and make fruits her desserts. I was not allowed to eat that stuff until I was older and I didn't know the difference because I thought strawberries and apples were desserts.

Answer 6

If you buy only 100% fruit juice, that counts as a serving. Sometimes you have to be creative and slip things into other things. Also, some kids like to dip all their vegetables in ranch dressing...things like carrots, celery or cucumber.

Answer 7

Prepare them in a way that they might enjoy the flavor more... steaming vegetables gives them a pleanant taste, while making the texture more pleasing to little kids as well. Either that, or do what my parents did... don't make anything else available... what's she gonna do, order a pizza instead?!

Answer 8

Make fruits and vegetables fun. For example- put peanut butter on celery and put raisins on top and tell her it's little ants on a log. Make up a little story to go with it. If you amuse her while trying to get her to eat it, she will. Try creative things like that.

Answer 9

try new ways to eat healthy foods like putting fruit in yogurt, smoothies, and so on. if that doesn't work, then take charge and lay down the consequences like this: you can eat what you please when you finnish your peas! just kidding but that could work or maybe some kind of consquence like that or no desert.

Answer 10

Stop buying packaged snacks, when he/she find thats the olny alternative perhaps they will test the waters. Most doctors say when children get hungry, they'll eat. The veggies are a little harder.

Answer 11

You should mix them in with some foods she does like, that usually works, or make her a fruit or veggie smoothie kids love that.