"Our kids won't eat their greens!"

Is there an easy way to get children to eat fruit and veg? Parents Eileen and Stewart take our challenge to get sons Andrew, 4, and Lewis, 2, to eat their greens

Published 23 Jul 2008
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The problem

Eileen and Stewart say: "It’s a real struggle to get our two boys to eat fruit and vegetables. Their reaction to anything new is always the same — ‘I don’t like that'. We’ve tried disguising foods, but don’t really feel that is the answer. When they were younger they ate everything, from curry to broccoli to blueberries, so I don’t know where we’ve gone wrong. It takes a lot of effort to cook healthy meals so it’s disheartening when it’s always refused. We’re also worried about the impact this is having on their health."

Suzannah Olivier

Suzannah Olivier

Nutritionist, author on healthy eating and mum of one

The advice

Suzannah says:  “If the boys have eaten a variety of fruit and veg before, they will again. Rejecting these foods has nothing to do with taste but is a typical two and four year old’s attempt at ‘testing the boundaries’. Previously they ate curry, broccoli and blueberries, which are all complex flavours. With the right approach, over time, they will eat these things again."

  1. Relax!
    The most important thing for you to do is to relax and not give off anxiety signals at meal times. This will help the children realise that their behaviour is not working.
  2. Have family meals
    Eat as a family and offer only one meal choice. Give each child a small portion of everything and if it is not eaten, calmly take the plate away. Don’t offer substitutes. It may take several meals, with refusals, before you see a change. Talk positively about food, mentioning casually how delicious it is, but don’t tell them they ‘must’ eat up.
  3. Enjoy fruit together
    Try to lead by example. Have a fruit bowl available for the kids to help themselves to. Serve fruit for dessert regularly, and eat fruit yourself in front of the children.
  4. Let kids help with cooking
    Children enjoy helping in the kitchen, so make this as much fun as possible. Try making pizzas with the vegetables arranged as funny faces. Take photos and vote on who is the winner (both of them, of course!). Let them help to prepare family meals — they could chop cooked carrots, which doesn’t require a sharp knife. Making ice-lollies from fruit smoothies is always popular.
  5. Try a reward chart
    Help the kids to make a fruit and veg fridge chart, using pictures from magazines or ones they’ve drawn themselves. When they eat something healthy, give them a star or a fridge magnet. For example, the tomato on a pizza base counts, or a glass of 100-per-cent juice. Start with a three-a-day target and build up to five-a-day. Reward them with smiley stickers or small prizes such as colouring pencils. Praise and positive reinforcement are essential.
  6. Avoid disguising veg
    Avoid the negative connotations of ‘disguising’ veg and try and make eating it fun. Children enjoy finger food such as veg sticks, seedless grapes and cherry tomatoes. You could try making sauces from jewel-coloured fruit such as kiwi and raspberries to pour on ice-cream or yoghurt. Simple puddings like baked apple stuffed with raisins, baked banana, or pears poached in apple juice are always popular.

Here's how they got on

Eileen and Stewart's diary

DAY ONE: Feeling more positive

Eileen: I felt very positive after speaking to Suzannah — she seemed to understand the problems, and her advice addressed all the issues. I was raring to go and got the reward charts together straightaway, because I can really see that working, especially with Andrew.Eileen with Andrew and Lewis

DAY THREE: Mixed success

Eileen: We’ve had mixed success so far. Andrew loves the reward chart and is keen to try everything — he’s already eaten mushrooms for the first time in ages. But Lewis, who is more stubborn by nature, has been much harder work. My mum looks after him while I’m at work and yesterday he spent ten minutes licking an apple but still didn’t actually eat it! Andrew, on the other hand, tried a satsuma, which he hasn’t eaten for two years, and loved it so much he ate three in a row!

Stewart: I’m making a special effort to be home from work in time for us all to eat together as a family as often as possible. We did do it before, but we’re just trying to make it even more of a priority, as Suzannah suggested.

DAY FOUR: Lewis tries carrot!

Eileen: Andrew is still doing really well. Today he ate broccoli and last night he helped me make a curry. I showed him the vegetables I was using, rather than sneaking them in behind his back and hoping he wouldn’t notice, and he was really interested and ate everything.

This evening I went out to do the shopping so Stewart gave the boys their tea — the aim was to get Lewis to eat carrot. Stewart gave me a running commentary by text message: “He’s licked the carrot”, “He’s tasted the carrot”, “He spat the carrot out…” We didn’t make a big deal about it, and at least he’s trying things now.

DAY SIX: Different fruit

Stewart: Now we’re halfway through the challenge, I’ve seen that just by putting a bit of extra time and effort in you can make big improvements quite quickly. Andrew now eats lots of different fruits — he had banana today and loved it, and has since asked for another one. Lewis still survives mainly on jacket potatoes, but I’m sure he’ll come round eventually.Lewis tried fruit in a fromage frais

DAY NINE: Blueberry surprise

Eileen: Andrew is now addicted to oranges — I had to stop him eating a fifth! My sister made some banana muffins that Lewis loved and asked if she would bring some more next time she came. I’ve also been making sure I eat fruit in front of the children — I had a small punnet of blueberries watching telly the other day, and both boys came to see what they were. Andrew even decided to try some!

DAY TEN: Cooking together

Eileen: I feel guilty that I haven’t made the pizza faces yet — I just haven’t had time to get all the ingredients. But I did make a big risotto last night — Lewis loved helping me to shell the peas and watched me put in sweet potato and red onion. He was really interested in the whole process of cooking it. He loved the rice but didn’t eat any of the veg. Stewart kept saying how delicious it was but Lewis wasn’t convinced! I was a bit upset, but just cleared the plates away without comment and managed to keep calm.

DAY FOURTEEN: A positive experience

Eileen: I’m really pleased with the way the challenge has gone. It’s fantastic to see Andrew enjoying his food so much and asking for fruit and veg. What a difference from the, “Don’t like this, don’t like that” we used to get! Now he’s got the confidence to try anything. I think it helps that he’s that bit older.

Lewis is definitely going through a phase of asserting his independence and we haven’t been so successful with him. But when he was young he ate anything and everything, so I’m confident that if we keep following Suzannah’s advice he’ll soon be as keen as Andrew to try stuff.

Stewart: Doing the challenge has been a really positive experience. I think it’s crucial that the children see you working together as it reinforces the message, and makes it harder for them to resist. I’m sure things will continue to improve — and one day Lewis too will be asking for some more of that lovely cabbage!

The verdict

Suzannah says: "The family has done really well. The challenge now will be to stay consistent in their approach and embrace this way of family eating in the long term. Andrew has responded brilliantly. Lewis is underlining that he is an individual by testing the boundaries, but in the long run, he won’t want to be left behind."

Eileen says: "Lewis has started asking for oranges and apples and eating them all up! I’m sure it’s Andrew’s influence — Lewis has seen his brother ask for, and enjoy these things, and so he wants to do it too. It’s taken a bit of time, but Suzannah was absolutely right — if you stick with it, it really does work."

Find Out More

Get involved

If you have a parenting problem and would like to take part in ‘Challenge Family’, contact us.

“I make a tomato pasta sauce and add veg like carrots and mushrooms to make it more healthy. But I have to whizz it in the blender so Fergus can’t spot them!”

Carol, mum of Fergus, 2½

Words: Abigail Flanagan. Pictures: Alan Steele