The habits that help children to eat more vegetables over their lifetime

Small changes in how children taste food each day can change what they eat in the long run.

Small changesniewielkie zmiany in how children experience food every day can have a lastingtrwały, długotrwały impactwpływ, oddziaływanie on what they eat.

Even minor shifts in how children experience food day to day can create a lasting effect on their eating habits.

Getting children to eat enough vegetableswystarczająca ilość warzyw can be a struggletrudność; walka; zmaganie się. Parentingwychowywanie dzieci; rodzicielstwo forumsfora internetowe and chat groupsgrupy na czacie are full of questions like: "Is it normal that my child only eats beigebeżowy foods?"

It can be hard to get kids to eat enough vegetables. Parents often ask things online, like: “Is it normal if my child only eats beige foods?”

Convincing children to eat enough vegetables can be quite challenging. Parenting forums and chat groups are packed with questions such as, “Is it normal for my child to eat only beige foods?”

One reason is that kids like sweet foods from a young age. Breast milk even has natural sugar, so it can taste sweet. When they start eating solid food, it can be hard to get them to eat broccoli or spinach.

One key factor is that children’s cravings for sweet foods begin very early. Even breast milk contains natural sugars, which can give it a noticeably sweet taste. As soon as they start eating solid foods, persuading them to try something like a stick of broccoli or a spoonful of spinach can be an uphill battle.

One reason for this is that their preferencepreferencja; upodobanie for sweet foods starts early. Even breast milkmleko matki contains natural sugars that can make it taste quite sweet. Once they start eating solidspokarmy stałe, getting them to eat a stick of broccolibrokuł or spoonful of spinachszpinak can be hard goingtrudne; mozolne.

Children need to eat different kinds of food, and they should have lots of fruits and vegetables. If they eat too little or the wrong foods, it can make it harder to think, focus, and behave well, and it can also affect their school results. More and more children are getting obese, which can lead to health problems later and can also make school harder for them.

But children need a variedurozmaicony, zróżnicowany diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. A poor diet affects cognitionpoznanie, procesy poznawcze, concentration, behaviourzachowanie and even academicakademicki, szkolny performance. Obesityotyłość among children is increasing, which is linked to long-term health concernsdługoterminowe obawy zdrowotne, as well as worse educationaledukacyjny, związany z nauczaniem outcomes.  

However, children need a balanced, varied diet that features plenty of fruits and vegetables. When their diet is lacking, it can harm cognition, reduce concentration, affect behaviour, and even undermine academic achievement. Meanwhile, childhood obesity is becoming more common, and this is associated with long-term health risks as well as poorer educational outcomes.

Fortunately for parents, researchers have been searching for fresh ways to improve children’s eating habits and have uncovered some inventive solutions. Here are six simple ideas backed by science that you can try at home:

Good news for parents: researchers are finding new ways to help kids eat better. They have some smart ideas you can try at home. Here are six simple things science says can help:

Fortunatelyna szczęście for parents, researchersbadacze have looking for new ways to improve childhooddzieciństwo eating habitsnawyki żywieniowe and have found some innovativeinnowacyjny solutionsrozwiązania. These are six simple things that the science says you can try at home:

You can help your child like vegetables by giving them many different kinds when they are very young, and by offering them often, says Marion Hetherington, a professor of biopsychology at the University of Leeds in the UK. The best time to help your child start liking vegetables is when they are in preschool.

Feeding little ones as many different types of vegetables as possible in early childhood – and doing it often – can make a difference, says Marion Hetherington, professor of biopsychologybiopsychologia at the University of Leeds in the UK. The most successful time to improve your child's liking of vegetables is in the preschool years.

Offering young children as many different kinds of vegetables as you can in early childhood—and serving them regularly—can genuinely make a difference, says Marion Hetherington, a professor of biopsychology at the University of Leeds in the UK. She adds that the most effective window for building your child’s preference for vegetables is during the preschool years.

"If you don't start to increase children's vegetable exposureekspozycja; kontakt z czymś by five years of age, it's [almost] too late," says Hetherington. "That's a really a hard message, but the fact is if they've missed outprzegapiły / ominęły je on all of that exposureekspozycja; kontakt z czymś, it's not impossible, but it's hard workciężka praca; duży wysiłek." Studies have found that children tend to requirewymagać several repeatpowtarzać; powtórny exposures before a child will accept a food.

“If you don’t begin boosting children’s exposure to vegetables by the age of five, it’s [almost] too late,” says Hetherington. “That is a tough message, but even if they’ve missed out on that key exposure, it isn’t impossible—it just takes a lot of effort.” Research also suggests that children often need to see the same food again and again before they will accept it.

“If you wait until after age five to give children more vegetables, it is [almost] too late,” says Hetherington. “This is a hard thing to hear. But even if they did not get enough chances before, it is not impossible—it just takes a lot of work.” Studies show that children may need to try the same food many times before they will eat it.

That said, the research findings aren’t consistent about how many times a child may need to be offered a particular food before they’re willing to try it—estimates vary from about five to as many as 15. (This is likely because every child is different.)

The evidencedowody, materiał dowodowy is mixedniejednoznaczny, podzielony, however, when it comes to exactly how many times you might need to give them a food for them to accept it, ranging fromwahając się od; obejmując zakres od five to 15. (This probably reflectsodzwierciedla, wskazuje na the fact that all children are different.)

The studies do not all agree. Some kids may need the same food about five times before they will eat it, but others may need up to 15 times. (This is probably because children are not all the same.)

However, children under one year old may require fewer repeated tastings than preschoolers (aged three to four), who often display higher levels of food neophobia—the reluctance or avoidance of trying unfamiliar foods.

But those under the age of onew wieku poniżej jednego roku may need fewer exposuresekspozycje / kontakt z czymś (wielokrotny bodziec, zetknięcie) than preschoolwiek przedszkolny / przedszkole children (three to four years old), who typicallyzazwyczaj show higher levelswyższy poziom / większe nasilenie of food neophobianeofobia, lęk przed nowością, an aversionniechęć, wstręt to trying new foodpróbowanie nowego jedzenia.

Children under one may need to try a new food fewer times than preschool children (aged three to four). Preschool kids often feel scared to try new foods, so they may not want them at first.

This process can even begin before your child is born. Evidence suggests that the mother’s diet can be transferred to the foetus through amniotic fluid, helping to mould an infant’s later food preferences.

This can start before your baby is born. Studies show that what the mother eats can go to the baby in the amniotic fluid. This may affect what the baby likes to eat later.

And this process can start even before your child is born. There's evidencedowód; evidence, materiały dowodowe that what a mother eats is passed onto the foetuspłód through amniotic fluidpłyn owodniowy and can shape an infantniemowlę's food preferencespreferencje; upodobania.

Telling children that a food is good for them can easily backfire, because they tend to gravitate toward options they’re told are “tasty” rather than “healthy.” A better approach is to consider the timing—when, during the meal, you serve the vegetables.

Simply telling children a food is good for themzdrowe dla nich; korzystne dla nich can backfireprzynieść odwrotny skutek; obrócić się przeciwko komuś, as children are more likely to choose foods that are described as "tasty" versusw porównaniu z; zamiast  "healthy". Instead think aboutzastanowić się nad when in a meal you offer them vegetableszaproponować im warzywa; podać im warzywa.

Just saying a food is good for children can have the wrong result. Kids often pick foods that sound "tasty," not foods that sound "healthy." Try serving vegetables at the start of the meal.

Serving vegetables at the start of a mealna początku posiłku when children are at their hungriest increases the likelihoodprawdopodobieństwo of consumptionspożycie. "Kids will often eat the thing they like the most," says Hetherington. "And then by the time they reach their peas, they don't want them anymore." So it can help to remove that competition with other higher calorie foodsbardziej kaloryczne jedzenie.

Offering vegetables at the beginning of a meal—when children are at their most hungry—makes it far more likely that they’ll actually eat them. As Hetherington points out, “Children will often go for whatever they like best,” and “by the time they get to their peas, they’re no longer interested.” For that reason, it can help to reduce the “race” against other, higher-calorie foods.

Give vegetables first, at the start of the meal, when kids are very hungry. This makes it more likely they will eat them. Hetherington says, “Kids usually eat what they like most first. Then when they get to the peas, they don’t want them anymore.” So it helps to stop vegetables from competing with other high-calorie foods.

Eating vegetables first can also help kids not eat too much, says Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US.

Getting children to eat vegetables first also helps them avoid overeating, according to Barbara Rolls, a professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University in the United States.

Encouragingzachęcanie vegetables first also helps children not to overeatprzejadać się, says Barbara Rolls, a professorprofesor of nutritionalżywieniowy sciencesnauki at Pennsylvania State Universityna Uniwersytecie Stanowym Pensylwanii in the US.

Even though vegetables are not usually a fixture of Western breakfasts, there’s no reason they can’t be enjoyed first thing in the morning as well. As a starting point, you might fold mushrooms and spinach into an omelette, or stir courgettes into breakfast muffins. In a 2023 study involving eight UK child-care centres, researchers reported that children ate vegetables at breakfast on more than 60% of the occasions they were offered them.

Vegetables are not common for breakfast in Western countries, but you can still eat them in the morning. For example, add mushrooms and spinach to an omelette, or put courgettes in breakfast muffins. In a 2023 study in eight UK child-care centres, children ate vegetables for breakfast more than 60% of the time when they were given them.

And while vegetables are not typicallyzwykle, zazwyczaj part of breakfast in Westernzachodni diets there's no reason why they can't be eaten first thing in the morningna samym początku dnia / z samego rana too. You could try adding mushrooms and spinach in an omeletteomlet or courgettes in breakfast muffins. In one 2023 trialbadanie, próba in eight UK child-care centres, researchers found that children would eat vegetables for breakfast over 60% of the time they were offered.

If tucking vegetables into breakfast—or having them before a meal—seems too far-fetched, a more practical option could be to rebalance what you serve: cut back on high-calorie ingredients and give vegetables a larger share of the plate.

If it feels hard to add vegetables at breakfast or before a meal, you can change the food amounts. Serve less high-calorie food and more vegetables.

If introducing vegetables at breakfast or before a meal feels unrealisticnierealistyczny, mało realny, another approach might be to simply adjustdostosować, zmienić the ratios of what is being served – reduce the amount of high caloriekaloria ingredients in favour ofna korzyść, zamiast vegetables.

You can achieve this just by serving more vegetables as a side, or by grating vegetables like carrots and courgettes into your sauces.

You can do this by adding more vegetables on the side. You can also grate vegetables, like carrots and courgettes, into sauces.

You can do this by simply increasing vegetables as a side dishjako dodatek / przystawka na ciepło or by gratingścieranie na tarce vegetables such as carrots and courgettescukinie into sauces.

This can be effectiveskuteczny as studies have shown people tend to eat a similar volumeobjętość; ilość of food and increased amounts of vegetables when portionporcja ratios of meat to vegetables are altered. Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables by 50% on a child's plate has been found to increase how much of these they eat.

This approach can work well, because research suggests that when the portion balance of meat to vegetables is changed, people generally eat roughly the same overall amount while consuming more vegetables. In fact, one study found that boosting the fruit and vegetable portion on a child’s plate by 50% can lead to a measurable increase in how much they eat.

This can work because studies show that when you change the sizes of meat and vegetables on a plate, people often still eat about the same total amount. But they usually eat more vegetables. If you add 50% more fruit and vegetables to a child’s plate, they tend to eat more of them.

Additional studies have shown that preschool children tend to choose more vegetables and consume less unhealthy food when they are offered a selection of different vegetable options during mealtimes.

Other researchbadania has found that preschoolersdzieci w wieku przedszkolnym eat more vegetables and less unhealthyniezdrowy food when they are given a choice ofwybór spośród different types of vegetables at meal timesw porze posiłków.

Other studies found that preschool kids eat more vegetables and less unhealthy food when they can pick from different kinds of vegetables at meals.

It can also help to change how a child feels about the food they eat. A lot of what we want to eat starts with how it looks. If kids have many choices, they will usually pick the food that looks most familiar and tasty. (Read more about how we trick ourselves to eat better).

It’s also helpful to change how a child views the food they’re eating. After all, a lot of what we end up wanting starts with what we see. When children are given several choices, they tend to lean toward the food that looks most familiar and most inviting. (Read more about how we trick ourselves into eating better).

Changing how a child perceivespostrzega the food they are eating is also beneficialkorzystny. Consider that much of what we want to eat starts with our eyes. When faced with multipleliczne, wielokrotne optionsopcje, możliwości do wyboru, children will gravitatekierować się ku, lgnąć do toward the food that looks the most familiarznajomy, dobrze znany and appealingatrakcyjny, zachęcający. (Read more about how we trickoszukiwać, wyprowadzać w błąd ourselves to eat better).

In other words, if you change the way food is presented, it may encourage children to eat more vegetables.

This means changing how food is presented could help children to eat more vegetables.

So, if we show food in a new way, kids may eat more vegetables.

Researchers found that children were much more likely to try unfamiliar foods when they were presented artistically on a plate. In addition, other studies suggest that children are more inclined to eat fruits and vegetables when those foods are cut into playful, eye-catching shapes—such as butterflies, flowers, or teddy bears. Overall, these findings indicate that making healthy meals look fun can significantly boost their appeal.

A team found that children are more likely to taste new foods if the food looks like a picture on the plate. Other research shows that kids eat more fruits and vegetables when the food is cut into fun shapes, like a butterfly, a flower, or a teddy bear. This means that if healthy food looks fun, children want to eat it more.

A team found that children were more likely tobardziej prawdopodobne, że eat new foods when they presented it artisticallyw sposób artystyczny on a plate. Other research has shown that children eat more fruits and vegetables if they are cut into interesting shapes, such as a butterfly, flower or teddy bear, showing that making healthy foods look fun increases their appealatrakcyjność.

Research indicates that presenting healthy options so they are both highly visible and simple to grab as snacks can further boost consumption. Studies with children aged 10–13 found that they ate and selected more vegetables when several varieties were offered together in one container with pre-portioned servings, instead of spread across multiple separate plates. Similarly, preschoolers were reported to eat 36% more vegetables when the food was portioned on a plate divided into different sections.

Research shows that if healthy food is easy to see and easy to grab as a snack, children are more likely to eat it. Children aged 10–13 ate and picked more vegetables when the vegetables were put together in one container with ready-made portions, not on several different plates. Preschool children also ate 36% more vegetables when the food was split into small portions on a plate with different sections.

Making healthy food more visible and easy to access as a snack also encourages consumptionspożycie, konsumpcja, research has shown. Children aged 10-13w wieku 10-13 lat were found to eat and choose more vegetables when presented with several in a single containerpojedynczy pojemnik with pre-portionedwcześniej podzielony na porcje servings, rather thanzamiast, raczej niż on several different plates. Preschoolers have also been found to eat 36% more vegetables when food was divided uppodzielono, rozdzielono na części into portions on a plate with different sectionsróżne sekcje / oddzielne części. 

What parents eat has a major influence on what children come to see as normal. When parents choose unhealthy snacks, their children are more likely to do the same. Likewise, parents who regularly eat fast food or skip breakfast are more likely to have children with similar habits.

What parents eat plays a huge role in normalisingnormalizowanie; uważanie za coś normalnego what children expect to eat. If parents eat unhealthyniezdrowy snacksprzekąski their children are more likely to do sobardziej prawdopodobne, że tak zrobią. Parents who eat fast foodjedzenie typu fast food or skip breakfast are also more likely to have children who do the same.

What parents eat affects what children think is normal. If parents eat unhealthy snacks, children are more likely to eat them too. Parents who eat fast food or skip breakfast often have children who do the same.

A New Zealand study of schoolchildren found that those whose parents followed healthier diets ate fewer cakes, chocolates, and other savoury snacks. Likewise, children whose parents consistently practised healthy eating were shown to enjoy more fruits and vegetables.

A study in New Zealand found that school children whose parents ate healthier food ate fewer cakes, chocolates, and savoury snacks. Also, children whose parents often chose healthy food were more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables.

A study of school children in New Zealand found the children of parents with healthier dietszdrowsza dieta ate fewer cakes, chocolates and other savourywytrawny snack food. Similarly, children whose parents regularly modelled healthy eatingzdrowe odżywianie have been shown to enjoy more fruits and vegetablesowoce i warzywa.

Eating together at least three times per weekco najmniej trzy razy w tygodniu has been linked to healthier body weightzdrowsza masa ciała, better eating patternsnawyki żywieniowe and an increased likelihoodwiększe prawdopodobieństwo to eat healthier if parents are also doing so. One longitudinalpodłużny; długoterminowy study also found that those who took part in regular family mealtimesrodzinne posiłki had higher fitness levelslepsza kondycja fizyczna and drank fewer soft drinksnapoje gazowane.

Sharing meals as a family at least three times a week has been associated with healthier body weight, more positive eating habits, and a greater chance that children will choose healthier foods—particularly when parents model the same behaviour. In addition, a longitudinal study reported that participants who ate together regularly tended to have higher fitness levels and consumed fewer soft drinks.

When families eat together at least three times a week, people tend to have a healthier body weight and better food choices. It also makes it more likely that children will eat healthier, especially when parents do the same. A long study found that children who ate with their family often were fitter and drank fewer soft drinks.

A great deal of what we eat is shaped by our relationship with food.

So much of what we eat comes from our relationshiprelacja; związek with food.

A lot of what we eat depends on how we feel about food.

Researchers also caution that when adults pressure children to eat specific foods, it can dampen their enjoyment of meals and contribute to a less nutritious diet. Likewise, offering rewards such as high-fat or high-sugar treats may heighten children’s cravings for these items.

Researchersbadacze also warn that pressuringwywierając presję na children to eat certainokreślony foods can lead to lower enjoymentprzyjemność of food and a less healthy dietmniej zdrowa dieta. Similarly, rewardingnagradzając children with a high-fatwysokotłuszczowy or high-sugarwysokocukrowy treatsmakołyk can increase preferencespreferencje for those foods.

Researchers also say that if adults force children to eat certain foods, they may enjoy food less and eat in a less healthy way. Also, if you give children high-fat or high-sugar treats as a reward, they may start to like those foods more.

That said, one study suggests that simply allowing children to play with food can substantially reduce food neophobia—the fear of anything unfamiliar. In the study, researchers prompted children to touch, smell, and closely examine ingredients such as beetroot, chickpeas, and pak choi, without any requirement that they taste them. As a result, the children grew more receptive to unfamiliar ingredients and were more likely to give them a try at a later time.

However, one study found that letting kids play with food can help them feel less scared of new foods. The researchers asked the children to touch, smell, and look closely at foods like beetroot, chickpeas, and pak choi. They did not expect the children to taste them right away. After this, the children were more open to trying foods they did not know and were more willing to taste them later.

But simply letting children play with food can help reduce food neophobianeofobia; lęk przed nowością, or a fear of anything new, according to one study. Researchers encouraged children to touch, smell and look closely atuważnie przyglądać się ingredientsskładniki including beetrootburak ćwikłowy, chickpeasciecierzyca and pak choipak choi; kapusta chińska, but with no expectation that they taste them. The children became more open tobardziej otwarty na unfamiliarnieznany; obcy; nieznany wcześniej ingredientsskładniki and were more willing to trychętny, żeby spróbować them later on.

Encouraging the children to cook also helped increase their desirechęć, pragnienie to eat unfamiliarnieznany, obcy foods.  

Prompting the children to cook further boosted their willingness to try and eat unfamiliar foods.

When we asked the kids to cook, they also wanted to eat new foods more.

Experimental chef Jozef Youssef, who collaboratedwspółpracował on the study, says the key is reframingprzedstawianie w nowy sposób how children experience food. "There's something about gamifyinguatrakcyjnianie przez elementy gry and engaging in sensory playzabawa angażująca zmysły that works with children," he says. "When in a very relaxed and laid-backwyluzowany, unpressuredbez presji environment, children are very willing to have a bit of a play with food and taste and try and experiment with different things."

Experimental chef Jozef Youssef, who worked on the study, says the main point is to change how children think about food. “Kids often like games and sensory play,” he says. “When they feel relaxed and not pushed, they are more willing to play with food, taste it, and try new things.”

Experimental chef Jozef Youssef, who partnered on the study, explains that the real breakthrough lies in reframing children’s relationship with food. “There’s something about turning activities into games and inviting sensory play that truly resonates with children,” he says. “In a calm, low-pressure, laid-back setting, kids are far more open to experimenting—tasting, playing with different foods, and trying out new ideas.”

If we’re lucky, this may help your child eat something besides boring beige food.

Hopefully, this could encourage your child to try something more exciting than plain beige food.

With any luckjeśli dopisze szczęście; miejmy nadzieję, all this might just help to get your child to eat something that isn't just beigebeżowy; tu: mdły, nijaki.

* Melissa Hogenboom is a seniorstarszy rangą; doświadczony health correspondentkorespondent; reporter at the BBC and author of Breadwinners and The Motherhood Complex. She is melissa_hogenboom on Instagram. 

Melissa Hogenboom works as a senior health reporter for the BBC. She wrote Breadwinners and The Motherhood Complex. Her Instagram name is @melissa_hogenboom.

Melissa Hogenboom is a senior health correspondent for the BBC and the author of Breadwinners and The Motherhood Complex. You can also find her on Instagram under the handle @melissa_hogenboom.