Tips for 4-H and Youth
Hey Mom...help your picky eaters eat more vegetables!
By NORMA FLANAGAN 4-H Director

American children eat well below the recommended three to five servings of vegetables a day. Almost four out of five children, aged 7 to 10 years, do not eat the recommended level.

It is natural to assume that children are picky eater based on their own personal likes and dislikes, but researchers are learning more about how the mother's beliefs and food habits affect her child's pickiness and/or unwillingness to try new vegetables.

A new study by nationallyknown child feeding experts has found that mothers who report that they do not have enough time to eat healthy and who reported eating a low variety of vegetables themselves were more likely to have daughters who were picky eaters. Mothers who were unwilling to try new foods themselves had daughters who were also unwilling to try new foods.

When mothers eat a variety of vegetables themselves, they make choices that their children are able to model. Make a variety of vegetables available by planning ahead for meals and snacks and knowing time-saving ways to prepare vegetables. This will increase the likelihood that children will eat vegetables and be healthier. Acommon misconception is that just because your child didn't eat a vegetable when you served it, that they won't ever like it. Continue to serve small amounts of vegetables and over time, children are likely to try them.

Consider these suggestions:

Before grocery shopping, plan what meals your family will eat for dinner the next week. Decide which vegetable you'll purchase for these meals (fresh, frozen, or canned).

Prepare for vegetable leftovers that can be used within two to three days and can easily be reheated in the microwave for quick meals and snacks.

Wash and poke small holes in potatoes, or sweet potatoes, and cook in microwave on high for five to seven minutes each. Cut potato in half, or quarter, for children.

To save time in preparing vegetables, buy frozen vegetables that already cut up. Saute' or steam for a few minutes until tender-crisp.

Buy already cut-up bagged lettuce or salad mix, the darker the green the better. Wash and add whole grape or cherry tomatoes and sliced baby carrots for a quick and easy salad.

When you make a salad, make more than can be eaten at one meal. Store the rest in the refrigerator, tightly covered, and use the next day. Be sure and add tomatoes just before eating.

When choosing to bring home fast food for dinner, consider buying the main items at the restaurant, such as sandwiches or chicken, and adding pre-cut raw vegetables with dip at home.

When dining out, try choosing a new vegetable as side dish.