How to Get Your Children to Eat Their Vegetables with Supermarket Voucher Codes

How many times have you tried to convince your little ones to 'just have one more spoonful?'. Funny how they don't need much persuasion when it comes to sweets or cakes! Most kids avoid vegetables like the plague; they seem to start off ok as infants, but as soon as they grow up enough to realise that veggies are healthy, they'd rather suck on a sugar cube than eat their greens. 

 

 

However, if you're looking for ways to ensure your children are getting the vitamins and minerals they need, the solution could be fairly simple. According to a study conducted at the Center for Childhood Obesity Research in Pennsylvania, serving up veggies with a dip can encourage kids to eat them.

 

The research found that 64% of preschoolers liked the vegetable when eaten with a low-fat flavoured dip, whereas just 31% liked it by itself. Furthermore, only 6% refused to eat the vegetable with a dip, compared to 18% without any dip. 

 

Although adding dips piles on the calories, the dips used in the study were low-fat and contained around 50 calories per portion. For those parents that are struggling to get their children to eat any vegetables, it seems a small price to pay when you consider the reward.

 

There has been lots of research into children and vegetables, with another study published in Psychological Science found that if children understand about nutrition, they're more likely to enjoy and voluntarily eat veggies. 

 

If you want to know how to get kids to eat vegetables, follow these simple tips:

 

The old adage 'Do as I say, not as I do' rings true when it comes to setting an example for your children. If vegetables are eaten by the parents every meal, without a big song and dance, the kids are far more likely to eat them. Kids can only eat what's put in front of them, so if you've fed them an unhealthy diet for the first five years of their life, it'll be quite hard to change it at a later date. If you're a keen Tesco shopper, you'll be pleased to hear that you could get up to 50% off groceries with our Tesco voucher codes.

 

Over time, research has proven that if children reject a food, they must be exposed to it another 8-10 times in order for it to be agreed. It's hard to get the little ones to try food again, so it's important to enforce the 'one bite' rule, where they have to have just one mouthful of the food each time.  

 

This is very different to the 'clean plate' culture that has been enforced in households for so long. Force-feeding and punishments are likely to do the complete opposite of what you want. Try to keep a positive atmosphere rather than a negative one if you want any hope of encouraging them to eat those greens. Perhaps encourage them with some child friendly recipes, and with our Asda voucher codes you can get great deals on everything you'll need.

 

As you can see from the research discussed above, adding a flavoured dip meant that far more children said they liked the vegetables they were eating. The same principal can be used in cooking. You don't have to have the sour cream and chive permanently on standby, just using more flavours can make vegetables more appealing. For example, add bacon or mint to garden peas. There's no harm in adding more calories to dishes if it encourages healthy eating habits in the long run. Take advantage of our Whole Foods Online discount vouchers and save up to 50% on your weekly shop.

 

Kids love to cook. Children are far more likely to get involved in eating a meal if they have played a part in its preparation. Taking your kids shopping and getting them to pick the items off the shelves, then actually allowing them to help you cook in the kitchen, can encourage them to eat their veg. If you'd rather a more relaxed shopping experience, do your shopping online with our Morrisons voucher codes and get a £5 discount on your food order!

A plate of healthy food can often look glum. If something doesn't look that appetising to adults, we'll still eat it begrudgingly, but if kids don't like the look of a plate, they simple won't eat it. 

 

Add some colour to the plate by using brightly coloured vegetables – it's best to keep the colours separate, rather than mix them all together. You could even turn those mini piles of veggies into a fun design such as a smiley face. These simple things don't take a lot of time or effort and they could be key to your child's nutrition and development. 

 

Take advantage of Graze voucher codes to get your first box completely free. Each compartment contains a heathy snack – perfect for introducing you and the little ones to new foods, and they'll love having a surprise box to open each month!