Don't eat vegetables to love each other, eat vegetables chicken fly dog jump! Vegetables are like a flood beast in the eyes of children. The matter of eating vegetables has also become a big problem for parents.
Why is it so hard to eat vegetables
What makes it so difficult for children to eat vegetables? This also starts from ancient times. In ancient times, in order to survive, human ancestors would worship all kinds of animals and fruits collected after thousands of hardships as sacred objects, and gradually, the preference for these high-nutrient, high-energy foods was engraved into human DNA. Today, children are more receptive to fragrant meats and sweet and sour fruits, and instinctively reject or reject vegetables with a weak taste or even a hint of bitterness.
In fact, this avoidance of bitterness is also a self-protection mechanism. You know, children have many more taste buds than adults, so children are more sensitive to taste feelings. Therefore, we need to understand children more, sometimes they are not vexatious, but they do taste the "bitterness" that adults cannot understand.
How to fall in love with vegetables
So how to do it so that children can accept vegetables and fall in love with them?
The first critical period of the formation of children's tastes begins with "prenatal education". From 16 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus can feel the "taste" during swallowing amniotic fluid. Therefore, if you want to broaden the food spectrum of your child after birth, the mother must achieve a balanced diet during pregnancy, and the example of not being partial eater and not picky eater must be set at this time.
From the beginning of adding complementary foods to about 2 years old, it is the second critical period of taste. Children in this period usually do not have strong resistance or disgust for food, parents should grasp the "vegetable priority principle", continue to try, long-term persistence, most of them can make children gradually fall in love with vegetables.
The amount of vegetables added should be from less to more, even if the child only eats a small bite, parents should give strong affirmation. Positive response and encouragement can often stimulate children's desire to eat, so that children can eventually develop a good habit of eating regularly on the basis of complying with feeding.
In addition, parents should also do "three noes": do not force eating, do not eat frequently (it is recommended to arrange 3 meals a day, 2~3 additional meals), and try not to eat sweets.
"Strategy and tactics" to help
2~6 years old, that is, preschool age, with the improvement of children's autonomy and self-awareness, it is more likely to be picky eaters and partial eaters. But parents should not be too anxious, here are some tips to help children get through the "picky eating period" safely and smoothly.
First, parents can improve the appearance and taste of vegetables through cooking and plating, make vegetables invisible and transformed, attract children's attention with gorgeous appearance, and guide children to try.
Second, in addition to the good-looking skin bag, it is also necessary to inject interesting soul into vegetables. Can we tell the children about the vegetable "hundred families" - onions, artichokes from the sea? Why are tomatoes and sweet potatoes surnamed "fan"? Are carrots and pepper "family"? Of course, there are many interesting story picture books, such as "There is a train station in the belly", "Delicious vegetables escaped", "Vegetable Rally" and so on. When vegetables have a cute image, they can stimulate children's unlimited interest. When children are willing to listen and think, they are more likely to try.
Third, we can also work with children to design weekly recipes and learn scientific collocations. You can take your child to build a vegetable sunroom on the balcony and observe and record the difficulty of seeds taking root, germinating, and bearing fruit. When you have the opportunity, you and your children go to the field to pick seasonal fruits and vegetables and feel the joy of harvesting. For older children, parents can let them learn simple cooking skills and experience the true meaning of life.
The formation of good habits does not happen overnight, and the cultivation of interest is worth a thousand words. There is no panacea that can make children fall in love with vegetables immediately, and companionship is the golden key to untying the knot. Let's start with the children by embracing vegetables and embracing a happy and beautiful life!