Cooking Tips to Help Picky Eaters Learn to Love Vegetables

Do you have a child (or, heaven forbid, spouse) whose veggies always seem to end up in the dog's dish?

Do you put white potatoes next to your chicken and biscuits and call it dinner?

Then these tips are for you. Welcome to the wonderful world of vegetables.

Food neophobia, or the fear of new foods, shouldn't be dismissed as mere pickiness. Studies suggest the condition may be genetic, an impulse born into children to help them survive by being unwilling to try that pretty but poisonous berry growing on the random bush. Kids who turn up their noses at new foods aren't doing so just to annoy you; they're responding to primal instincts.

Nevertheless, you shouldn't resign yourself to a couple decades of hot dogs and chicken fingers. We need to teach kids (and adults who never outgrew childhood tastes) to enjoy nutritious foods to set them on the healthy path in life. It takes persistence and patience, but you can persuade a person to try new foods. Just remember, it can take many attempts before a hesitant bite turns to a favorite treat. Keep at it!

Bitterness is a big complaint with vegetables in general, but there are ways to reduce it. Adding sugar is the simplest way to counteract poor taste; think glazed carrots and that Thanksgiving favorite, the sweet potato casserole. True, all that sugar makes the veggies seem a lot less healthy, but remember, sweetened preparations are gateway vegetables: If you can get someone to eat sugary candied yams, they're much more likely to try a baked sweet potato someday.

Roasting is another way to cut veggie bitterness. Browning vegetables caramelizes their natural sugars, enhancing their sweetness without added sugar. Plus, picky folks are likely to remember from the foods they do enjoy, like crispy fried chicken, that browned food tastes yummy.

You also can fry vegetables, of course. Onions and potatoes look much more appealing as onion rings and french fries, and you'll often find fried zucchini and green beans on restaurant menus. Other cultures go even farther with their deep fryers. Seek out vegetable tempuras at Japanese restaurants or pakoras at Indian places, or order the fritto misto when out for Italian. That crispy battered crust makes it easier for anything to go down -- how else do you explain the huge popularity of calamari?

But sometimes, cooking isn't the answer. I only started to like cabbage after trying it raw in slaws. Peppers appealed to me initially when they came pickled in a vinegary brine. Crunch and salt can make all the difference, so go raw if different cooking methods aren't helping you make progress.

Maybe you're exhausted after all this work getting over food fears. Feel free to give yourself a break from time to time from the veggie-conquering quest and instead vary your picky eater's diet by serving fruits as your sides. Fruits may be associated with dessert, but they pack as much nutrition as veggies in a more palatable package. A side of berries instead of squash isn't admitting defeat. It's just a normal part of a healthy, varied diet. And that is worthy of smiles all around.

Sources:
Kim Severson, "Picky Eaters? They Get It From You - New York Times." New York Times.