Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Your child hates vegetables: 3 tips from a pediatrician

Natasha Burgert, MD
Conditions
December 4, 2012
231 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Parents worry when their children do not eat vegetables.

And, I understand why.

Parents know that vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, and get frustrated when they are consistently left on their child’s plate.

The result? Parental “veggie-stress.”

Although veggie-stress begins at the family dinner table, it can be amplified by the rather faddish way parents talk about poor vegetable eaters within playgroups. Conversations among parents can support mutual feelings of veggie-refusing frustration, or create feelings of defeat when a mother proudly claims that spinach is her 18-month-old’s favorite food.

To avoid the worry about a child’s vegetable intake, some parents jump to crazy short term “solutions” to make the veggies disappear. From fantastical airplane spoons to daily homemade veggie-smoothies; I am often amazed by the tactical maneuvers used to get children to swallow green produce.

The happy reality is that although parents may be upset that their children are refusing “anything green,” most of these children are following their growth curves with precision.

Appropriate growth reinforces the general rule that kids will eat a relative balance of nutritional foods if consistently offered over time. Therefore, for those families struggling with veggie-refusers, I suggest stepping back from the hyper-veggie-focus and approach balanced eating from a broader perspective.

Here are 3 suggestions.

1. Eat how you want your children to eat. Including vegetables.  When a parent is concerned about their child’s eating habits, I often ask to describe in detail the eating habits of both parents. Typical patterns often emerge. Parents without a healthy balance of food on their own plate. Parents who provide a perfectly balanced meal for their children, while fixing an entirely different meal for themselves to eat after the kids go to bed. Even parents who admit their own hatred of vegetables.

It makes fairly simple sense that if a parent does not eat a balanced meal with their children, it is unrealistic to expect their kids will voluntarily choose to eat a balanced meal. Even at the dinner table, actions speak louder than words.

So, next time you see veggies left on your child’s plate, take a new approach. First, be sure the veggies you expect your child to eat are on your own plate. Then, happily eat them all. Once your child says he is finished, gobble up their veggie leftovers. Seeing a parent eating two servings of green will more influential impact than waiting for them to “take just one bite” ever will. Be patient while waiting for positive change.

2. Lead the mealtime experience. Many parents who are struggling with a child’s heathy eating will say, “The daycare provider says she always finishes her vegetables at lunch. I don’t believe it. She never touches them at home.”

I would argue she likely does eat all her veggies during lunch for 3 reasons. First, she is hungry. Second, she knows lunch is her opportunity to eat. Third, she knows she is offered only one meal option. In short, the expectation of the daytime meal experience is very clear.

If your child is not eating veggies, consider the expectations you have created for the entire meal experience. Are you prioritizing the meal to be an undistracted, technology-free space optimized for family time and food eating? Are you offering too many options or alternatives, catering to a child’s whims rather than guiding what is expected? Are you feeding your child in order to avoid consequences of an empty tummy (tantrums, night wakings) rather than to teach the meal traditions and expectations of your home? Is your child truly not hungry after having such a great lunch and afternoon snack?

Honor your responsibility to create what you consider a balanced meal, at a consistent time and place. Join your child at the table with the meal you have prepared. Then, allow your child the time and opportunity to eat. This simple, effective, meal time leadership will nurture life-long healthy habits.

3. Don’t underestimate your child’s natural desire for balanced nutrition. Balanced nutrition is best obtained from eating a wide variety of whole, natural foods.

Don’t be mislead that nutrition can be simplified into a compartmentalized, 24-hour quota. Dietary recommendations are based on averages over time, not the needs of each day.

Although it can be difficult to remain patient when your child limits the foods they will eat, try not to emphasize a short-lived veggie-limiting phase by creating bad habits. Offering “safety-net” choices or extra snacks- just to get one more serving of veggies eaten before bedtime – will not accomplish the goal of a raising a veggie-loving adult.

For kids who are growing well, give yourself permission to allow normal fluctuations in a child’s quantity and variety of food choices. Children will consume a fairly balanced diet, if consistently offered a variety of food groups. And for most, the simple habit of routinely offering veggies is all that is needed for the love of veggies to ultimately develop.

Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you are concerned about your child’s nutrition. Until that visit, you may enjoy Eat Your Vegetables! and Other Mistakes Parents Make: Redefining how to Raise Healthy Eaters, by Dr. Natalie Digate Muth. The book provides a very detailed approach to nutritional parenting.

Natasha Burgert is a pediatrician who blogs at KC Kids Doc.

Prev

The telephone is obsolete: How my patients contact me today

December 4, 2012 Kevin 9
…
Next

Healthy patients always make the same error

December 5, 2012 Kevin 17
…

Tagged as: Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The telephone is obsolete: How my patients contact me today
Next Post >
Healthy patients always make the same error

More by Natasha Burgert, MD

  • Dear Justin Timberlake: An open letter from a pediatrician

    Natasha Burgert, MD
  • 7 things parents need to know about tampons

    Natasha Burgert, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    A letter to physicians refusing to see vaccine-hesitant families

    Natasha Burgert, MD

More in Conditions

  • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

    Althea Halchuck, EJD
  • An obstetrician-gynecologist reveals the truth about reproductive planning and how to navigate society’s expectations

    Yuliya Malayev, DO, MPH
  • Nose-brain connection: The surprising link between allergies and mental health revealed

    Kara Wada, MD
  • Is the rise in mental illness due to greater awareness or a true increase in incidence?

    Zahid Awan, MD
  • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why HIPAA is failing and what you need to know to protect your data [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival
  • What Happens When We Classify Kids' Weight as a 'Disease'?
  • Sotagliflozin Gets FDA's Blessing for Heart Failure
  • Cardiorespiratory Monitoring Can Be Telling of Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants

Meeting Coverage

  • No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
  • Trial Results Spark Talk of Curing More Metastatic Cervical Cancers
  • Cross-Border Collaboration Improves Survival in Pediatric Leukemia Patients
  • Monoclonal Antibody Reduced Need For Transfusions in Low-Risk MDS
  • Less-Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Proves Safe, Effective
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why HIPAA is failing and what you need to know to protect your data [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Your child hates vegetables: 3 tips from a pediatrician
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...