MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
Typically, children and vegetables do not go together like peas and carrots. But children can learn to like vegetables if you start teaching them early and set an example yourself. The National Center for Parents as Teachers has some helpful tips on how to help your child make peace with his peas.* Pass the veggies. Learning to like vegetables starts with mom. The taste of breast milk changes based on what the nursing mom eats. So a mother should eat a wide variety of vegetables to prepare the baby for the taste later on.
* Add variety. As soon as your baby can safely eat vegetables, start giving her a variety. Early exposure to different tastes is key to encourage your child to accept variety -- and vegetables.
* Texturize. Make sure your child experiences a variety of textures, from crunchy or chewy to smooth. Don't get in the habit of just serving smooth textures.
* Keep trying. A child may have to taste, smell or touch a new food 15 to 25 times before he is ready to try a few bites. That's OK. Just keep putting a small sample on the plate and cheerfully encouraging your child to take a taste.
* Set a good vegetable-eating example. Let your child see you enjoy a variety of nutritious foods, including vegetables. Your child may want to sample off your plate out of curiosity.
For more parenting tips like these, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.
