The message is clear: All kids need veggies, and most don't get enough. So we've started coming up with all kinds of clever ways to get kids to eat more. Puree the veggies and hide them in foods. Cover them with cheese, dressing or other toppings. Cut them into the shape of cartoon characters. But could it really be as simple as just giving them more to get them to eat more? A new study says "maybe". The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studied 51 children ages 3-5. For three weeks, the children were given increasing amounts of carrots as the first course of their meal before the main course (which consisted of pasta, broccoli, applesauce and milk.) They were given no first course during week 4. As the portion size of the carrots increased, so did the amount of carrots the kids ate. In fact, doubling the portion size (from ¼ cup to ½ cup) increased carrot consumption by 47%. However, there was a limit to how much the kids would eat, since tripling the portion size did not lead to a further increase in consumption. The amount of carrots consumed in the first course also did not affect how much was eaten in the main course. That amount stayed fairly consistent. If your house with small children is like mine, you've got kids clamoring at your feet to eat as soon as dinner time arrives. "Is it ready yet?" and "How much longer?" are questions I hear most evenings. So instead of making them wait to eat their veggies with dinner, try putting out some vegetables for your kids to snack on. They are more tempting to try if the kids are hungry, and it also establishes a routine of eating veggies as part of every meal. What do you think? Do you use any strategies to get your kids to eat their vegetables? |
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