4 Smart ways to introduce vegetables to children from an early age

Vegetables are foods that children generally don't like. This may occur because children do not usually eat vegetables since childhood. Thus, when he grew up he was unfamiliar with the flavors and textures of various kinds of vegetables. Therefore, it is very important to introduce vegetables to children from an early age. Getting children to eat vegetables since childhood can encourage children to like to eat vegetables.

When is it best to introduce vegetables to children?

Introducing children to vegetables can be started when children start receiving their first solid foods, around the age of 6 months. Don't delay giving your child vegetables at this age.

In fact, some say that if you begin to introduce vegetables to children when the child is still breastfeeding. The taste of the food that the mother eats can be felt by the baby through breast milk.

So, eat lots of vegetables while you are still breastfeeding your baby, so your baby will be more familiar with the taste of vegetables when they start eating solid foods.

You can add a variety of vegetables to your child's porridge at the age of 6 months.

How do you introduce vegetables to children?

Introducing and getting children to eat vegetables is not easy. The taste of the vegetables, which are usually a little bitter and bland, makes children refuse to eat them. However, there are several ways you can do so that your little one gets to know vegetables and finally wants to eat them.

1. No need to be fed, let the child eat alone

Let the child pick the vegetables by hand. This can help children recognize the texture of the vegetables. You can cut the vegetables into small pieces so that the child can grab them and give them to the child as a snack.

2. Choose vegetables with a sweet taste

Try starting out with vegetables with a sweet or mild taste, such as pumpkin or carrots, so that the child can accept the taste of the vegetables more easily.

If the child can accept one type of vegetable, add new types of vegetables to the children's menu. Choose vegetables with different tastes, textures, shapes and colors. That way, children recognize various types of vegetables, not just one or two types.

3. Continue to provide new types of vegetables to children

Don't be complacent if your child only likes a few types of vegetables. There are many types of vegetables with different vitamin and mineral content, so children need to eat lots of different types of vegetables.

Maintain the habit of giving the child a variety of vegetables until the child grows up. If the child refuses to eat certain vegetables, keep trying to give them again and again.

Children usually need to try about 10 times to accept a new food and more than 10 times to decide they like it. So, keep trying to give vegetables to children.

4. Create your little one's food menu

You can combine vegetables with chicken, meat, sausage, meatballs, mushrooms, potatoes, and others in the vegetable menu that you make, so that children are interested in trying them. Or, you can also put vegetables in bread, pizza, noodles, pasta, even once in juice.

To make your kids enjoy the taste of vegetables, you might want to try roasting vegetables with spices instead of just steaming them.