No-Pressure Ways To Help A Picky Eater Explore Vegetables

"My little one has just always loved her veggies!" — said no (honest) parent ever. Even if you are lucky enough to have a kiddo who enjoys their favorite vegetable, going through picky eating stages is entirely common and developmentally appropriate. Their aversion is actually more than just defiance (though it can certainly include a hearty dose of that, too) — it's science. Children's taste buds are highly sensitive to bitter foods as a survival mechanism, since a potentially toxic or poisonous plant often has that strong, harsh taste. 

As dramatic as your kiddo might be in avoiding that one bite of broccoli like the plague, it's not entirely all in their heads. Humans grow more tolerant of bitter foods over time thanks to dulling taste buds as we age. However, repeated exposure to vegetables can help kids develop a taste for them sooner.

There are two primary strategies: Offer them frequently, and keep the pressure off. Bribes, counting bites, or withholding dessert might seem harmless, but these approaches can dial up the pressure and turn a biological aversion into a behavioral struggle. Instead, embrace a hands-off approach and start by leading by example. Put the same vegetables on your plate, and enjoy them. No need to comment on their plate, just let them observe you. It also doesn't hurt to make the veggies fun and appealing. Arrange them in fun designs, cut them in shapes, and encourage kids to describe, count, arrange, and play with them. You never know when they might sneak a taste!

One of the best approaches to helping your child explore more vegetables is to involve them in every step of the process. They can even create their own picky eater dinner menu using parent-approved options. Bring them along to the grocery store and teach them how to pick the freshest produce. At home, they can help wash, peel, prepare, cut, season, stir, and serve the vegetables as they are able. These are all life skills your child can develop, even as picky eating phases come and go. It's also fun to turn it into an experiment. Let them pick which spices to try on their chosen veggies, and allow them to decide whether to steam, saute, or bake them. Then record whether they liked or disliked the outcome, and continue mixing and matching to find the perfect pairing and preparation for every veggie.

Kids tend to be the pickiest between ages 1 and 6, so know that it might be more of an era than a phase. Seasoned parents will tell you that it's never worth turning into a battle. Even though my kids have long outgrown the song, they still teasingly sing the "Daniel Tiger" jingle, "You gotta try new food 'cause it might taste good!" to each other on occasion. When they were young, we sang it as a reminder that they won't know if they like something until they try it, but we never forced the issue. Did it always work? Hardly ever. But the jingle stuck with them, and they are becoming more adventurous eaters by the day.