by Dr J Cornell

Created on: August 11, 2010   Last Updated: August 13, 2010

We’re all familiar with the look of horror and the instinctive phrase “I don’t like that” when your child is presented with an unfamiliar food.  This is a natural human reaction.  It is instinctive to distrust new food stuff as it may be poisoned.

Even if you have fed your child a particular vegetable since weaning but upon becoming a toddler they suddenly decide they don’t like it.  This too is a natural occurrence.  Studies have shown that taste buds begin developing in the womb but the aversion to bitterness doesn’t always emerge immediately.

Whilst some weaning babies reject bitter tasting vegetables from the first other don’t develop an aversion until they are toddlers.  There is an innate preference for sweet foods, nature may encourage this.  Amniotic fluid and breast milk, naturally a baby’s first tastes, are sweet and may set a precedent.

We all know the importance of the vitamins and minerals which vegetables contain even if we don’t include them in our diets.  When you have children it is important that you set an example by eating a variety of vegetables.  It is equally important that you insist that your children eat their vegetables.

So how do you get your children to eat vegetables and overcome these natural aversions?  By following these simple tips you’ll help your child to adopt a healthy diet that will last a lifetime.

Firstly never lie to you child!  This is the golden rule.  If you hide the vegetables or lie about what they are you wont keep the trust of your child and it won’t change their attitude to vegetables.  It may seem like the easy thing to do but in the long run it isn’t the best thing.

The younger you introduce your child to a healthy, varied diet the more likely they will be to continue to eat this way.  However, it is never too late to introduce your child to a healthy diet.  If you make it your way of life as a family then your child is more likely to continue eating healthily when they leave home.

Studies have shown that a child can become accustomed to new tastes if exposed frequently over ten days.  Give your child one small piece, about a quarter of a mouthful, of a vegetable to taste at the start of each main meal for ten days. 

You may need to insist that your child tastes it and you may need to offer a reward for the tasting.  If you are introducing a very bitter

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