How to teach a child to eat vegetables

Sticking broccoli in a child is not an easy task."It's easier to dress an octopus for a walk than to force him to eat at least a spoon," sighs Nastya, the proud mother of the five-year-old Anton. And Anton is not alone. Throughout the world, children refuse to eat vegetables in an organized way. Why? After all, it is terribly useful, and often even delicious. Well, in our opinion, adult intelligence. This question was seriously asked by scientists from Staffordshire University. Yes, yes, British scientists, do not laugh. The researchers went to interview the younger students to find out once and for all what children do not like about fruits and vegetables. And the results of the study were published in the journal British Journal Food.Photo: GettyImagesSo, what happened?It turns out that children aged 9-11 know all about the benefits of vegetables and fruits. But there is always a "but". Most often, children say that they do not like vegetables because they do not even like the taste, but the texture. For example, one of the children described mushrooms as a "small fluffy animal". He did not like eating something like that. And another suggested that mushrooms taste like "slimy worms". Ugh, it is not even very pleasant to read such things. In addition, fruits and vegetables certainly lose out to unhealthy food in taste. As it is also called, "junk" food - chips, chocolate, other sweets. In addition, chocolate and other treats in the minds of children are often associated with a reward for something - well done, you did it, here is a candy. But not everything is hopeless. Scientists have also found out how to increase children's interest in healthy food. Firstly, you can mask them with sauces and mix them with products that the child is more loyal to. Chicken salad, for example. Or fried potatoes, where the potatoes are diluted with zucchini. Also not very healthy, but better than a burger with French fries. Secondly, give fruit in a form convenient for the child - it turns out that children often do not want to eat an apple or a pear simply because it is inconvenient for them to eat a whole fruit. But cut - yes. But cutting it yourself is terribly lazy. Thirdly, you do not need to create a negative perception. That is, say: "You should", "You must." Such expressions are perceived as pressure and cause rejection. Well, and fourthly, you need to set an example. Yes, you should also give up chocolate in favor of apples. Or at least chew candy when no one sees you. Although lying to children, of course, is not good. In addition, healthy eating habits will be useful to everyone, including you. Read on: