The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it! We have advice and practical tips to make it a simple and free process for you.
but will they eat it?
If you’ve gone through the effort of understanding, engaging and preparing veg for kids, then you want to do your best to make sure it will be eaten, not wasted!
To make it more likely that when food is served it will end up in bellies, we have asked Dr Clare Holley, a child psychologist who specialises in getting kids to eat veg, to share some of her best advice. Her “three Rs”, the principles that make eating veg far more probable, and her ideas for how to make the most of the serving process as a final opportunity before they eat, may be exactly the tools you need to ensure success.
Clare is a health psychologist, and mum of two, who specialises in getting kids to eat more veg. Don’t miss her advice on serving up for a positive mealtime.
No pressure!
The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances.
Without the pressure, there is the opportunity to make a meal a fun, playful and positive experience for everyone. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.
The Three Rs
To make success more likely, it isn’t just fun that is key, however. In this section we will cover the “Three Rs” that can make the difference between food going in the bin vs food being eaten. Combining fun with these key principles is fundamental to success at the dinner table.
Eat together
If you can make it happen, eating together as often as you are able can be immensely helpful, not just in kids’ relationship with food, but also in their relationships with others and the closeness of a family. If you don’t have a table to eat around, just turning off the telly and sitting on chairs or sofas to eat together while you talk can be incredibly effective! Do what you can – remember that every little step adds up to big, lasting changes eventually.
Get them involved
Giving children a sense of ownership in the meal can make a big difference to their feelings going into it and the pride they take in it. We’ve talked about how to get them involved in the prepping and cooking process, but the serving process can be a great way to add to their sense of involvement in a meal, whether they have helped make it or not!
We have offered ideas for ways that children with different interests can be involved in serving up the meal, but of course, you know your child best, so feel free to adapt them to suit or come up with your own ideas with them.
Dr Clare Holley PhD, FHEA
Clare is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Loughborough University. Her research expertise is around children’s eating behaviour, with a focus on how we can promote healthy eating behaviours and reduce unhealthy eating behaviours. She has a particular passion for all things Veg, and has been researching effective ways of increasing children’s vegetable consumption for 10 years.
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