Why Toddlers Don't like Vegetables?

Erik Van Tongerloo
Toddlers may not like eating vegetables but this is certainly not true for all of them. The society and the influence of the media is an important why many toddlers prefer other kinds of food above vegetables. Many parents work outside and don't take the time to prepare a well balanced diet and they often serve fast food or food which is easy to prepare with a minimum of vegetables. This can be one of the reasons why toddlers don't like vegetables.

The influence of the school is also important and they may enjoy delicious sweets during the time at school and may become addicted to sweets and food which contains a lot of sugar and fat. It is necessary to be concerned about the health of your toddlers and you may start with offering them different kinds of food.

It is not necessary to forbid your toddlers to eat sweets or even junk food but you can best offer them different kinds of foods. It is necessary you teach them to eat all kinds of food. Vegetables and fruit are certainly essential in the diet of your toddlers and even in your own meal. Everyone needs to eat healthy and a well balanced diet will provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats.

The reason why toddlers don't like vegetables is often they don't like the taste. Many vegetables have a bitter taste but you can find several vegetables with different kinds of taste. It is more a matter of teaching your children to taste all the different kinds of vegetables. You need to offer a high variety of vegetables and it is maybe best to obligate them at least to taste a little bit of every vegetable. It is useful to add some ingredients which can change the taste of these vegetables slightly. Variation in the way you serve vegetables can help too. Maybe they don't like vegetables raw but they may enjoy these vegetables as these are cooked.

It is also best you try to taste them these vegetables different times. Maybe they don't like the taste at first but after several times they are used these taste and may like many other vegetables too. It is best you don't prepare every week the same vegetables and you make variation in the food for your toddler.

A good idea is to mix the vegetables with some food your toddler really like. You can also serve your food and create funny shapes of your vegetables. For example, you can make a little man of different kinds of vegetables and use a carrot for his nose. In winter, you can use a cauliflower as vegetable and with the carrot as nose and the little men looks as snowmen.

Involving your children in the preparation of the meals can help too. They may taste different vegetables and may even like them. You can give them the chance to peel and wash carrots and let them help with setting the table ready and help with the decoration. It is best you encourage them and praise them for all the help they offered. It may help them to be creative in trying out to prepare some vegetables or use some of them as decoration. They will certainly taste and probably they will discover that there are many vegetables which they like.

You can also try out some vegetables in some juices. If they like the drink, you can say them which vegetables there were in the juice and they learn the different tastes of vegetables. It sometimes just only a matter of using your imagination and use some ingredients of changing a little bit the original taste of the vegetables. It is really important you eat all together your meal and show how delicious these vegetables are. It is important you teach them the names of all the vegetables and before you know they enjoy eating vegetables.

It is certainly not true that all toddlers don't like vegetables. We live now in a world where we are overwhelmed with too many sweets and probably most toddlers prefer this taste more but if you prepare daily a meal with a variety of vegetables, they will certainly enjoy vegetables after some time. It may not work immediately but you need patience and incorporate vegetables in their main meals but also in beverages and maybe some sweets. They may not like all vegetables but certainly a high quantity of different kinds of vegetables.

Published by Erik Van Tongerloo

I live in Belgium. My hobbies are travelling, watching movies, running, listening music, taking pictures. I enjoy writing and like to share this with everyone of the world.  View profile

8 Comments

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  • David A. Reinstein, LCSW11/16/2009

    Right you are. The problem with both sugar and fat is that they make things taste good. Healthy eating is often an acquired taste!

  • Linda M. McCloud11/12/2009

    Great job and valid points.

  • Sophie S11/10/2009

    My parents always served a lot of fruits and vegetables to us, so we grew up liking our greens.
    Sophie

  • Kelly11/9/2009

    MKy kiddos always ate their veggies.

  • Shaheen Darr11/9/2009

    Very good points!

  • Memmay Moore11/9/2009

    Good jobn this.

  • Victoria Dawson11/9/2009

    Good points, luckily my kids have all liked most vegetables, but they were offered thoughout the different stages of their lives.

  • Conny Manero11/9/2009

    Well said Erik.

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