Should you need a little advice on how to get your fussy little eaters to eat their fruits and veggies, then this is where you want to be. In this article, you will get several great tips from Lucy Thomas, who is an expert on fussy eaters. These tips are useful, as they are ways to encourage our children and get them to want to eat fruits and veggies on their own.

The new campaign on healthy eating, “Good for the planet, Good for me,” incorporates games, recipes, songs for helping babies, there are indoor and outdoor activities, and for toddlers and preschoolers, it is a means to get them to eat a variety of fruits and veggies, and it is using a rainbow to do it. The campaign is being hosted by J.B. Gill, and Organix has the support of Lucy Thomas. 

Never Give up!

It has been shown through research that it could take as many as fifteen tries before a child accepts a new food. Remember, the best way to go about this is to try and try again. In the beginning, do not expect too much as they only need a small drop to taste at first. Your kid(s) may have to learn to like certain foods by repeating them over several times. But never give up.

They Should Be Introduced Early Own

A child should be introduced to veggies at the time you first start to wean them. You need to include them in the beginning before they decide they like something else better. After that, it can become much harder to get them to eat the veggies. 

The faces they make when trying new foods can be so cute, especially when it is something with a bit of a bitter taste to it, and these are memories you will want to hang on to. Veggies that have a bitter taste may be challenging. However, you need not worry about it. Your kid(s) may have a face of discussion the first time they take a bite of cabbage or cauliflower. In fact, making faces are all a part of the way they develop.

Getting Them Familiar Is the Key

A child will be more willing to try the new food if they have been familiarized with it prior to seeing it on their plate. They can get familiarized with the food by looking in picture books, playing with the food, and watching other people eating them. All of these can be beneficial for getting your child familiarized with food prior to trial. Singing songs that are about or referring to the food is also helpful.

Do Not Put Fruits and Veggies on Dinner Table at This Time

You can make fruits and veggies more exciting for your kid(s) when it is not mealtime. This is another way to get your child familiar with a new food without the stressful situations that can happen during mealtimes. This way affects them differently than if the new food is just being put in front of them, expecting them to eat it.

Let Them Explore and Discover

The key is to encourage your picky little eaters by starting with the basics. So, let us begin with helping your kid(s) to have a little fun while discovering new foods. Let your child explore the color, shape, texture, and the smell of their new foods, leaving out any phrases containing: eat, try, taste. 

It is strange that children enjoy surprises, such as gifts and birthday parties, etc., except when it comes to what they eat! This is a way to prepare them, and when the time comes to put it on their plate, they will already know what it is. Exploring and discovering can consist of having your child help while preparing meals. 

You could tell them stories related to the new food(s) and/or play games based on food(s). Things do not have to be complicated. For instance, take them with you occasionally to grocery shop and let them help when choosing the foods that you buy.

Let Them Learn by Playing with Their Foods

If you have fussy eaters, try including new foods as part of their activities during playtime. As you know, children are good at learning from playing, so let them venture a little and do not worry if they get a little messy. After all, they will only be this age once.

Handling fresh foods will help them to experience positive feelings with the new foods. Keep in mind that children take playing seriously.

Do Not Hide the Veggies, Nor Change Their Appearance

Letting them get used to the food in their original form, such as raw, just picked, etc., will be worth its weight in gold. 

Try Not to Bribe Your Child

Bribing your kid(s) to eat their fruits and veggies is not a good thing to do, and certainly not using sweets. This puts the idea in their heads that sweets are good “because I get them for eating my veggies,” and they also have it in their heads that “veggies are bad, and that is the reason they offer me something good, to get me to eat them.”

You As a Role Model

It is important that you and your child have a daily routine where you eat a meal together at least once every day. You are going to be amazed at how much difference it makes in them. We may be the best role model our kids (s) have, and we know they are the best little imitators we know of. Our children depend on us as their parents to be able to give them guidance; we are supposed to reassure them about foods.