Carolyn Ievers-Landis, PhD

Carolyn Ievers-Landis, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

I’m tired of battling my child over eating fruits and vegetables. Is it worth the effort, and how can I help my child eat healthier?

In a word, yes. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can yield great health benefits. It can help reduce your child’s risk for cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. But kids today only eat half the recommended servings of these foods. To encourage your child to eat five daily servings of fruits and veggies (without a fight), try to:

  • Make it easy. Prepare fruits and vegetables for on­the­go snacking. Stock the fridge with snack­sized baggies of grapes, carrot sticks and bell­pepper slices. Cut melons into bite­sized pieces and store in small containers.
  • Give regular taste tests. Encourage children regularly to try non­preferred fruits and vegetables. Research shows it takes 10 to 14 tries of a new food to develop a preference (or at least tolerate it). Track how often your child tries a fruit or vegetable. Reward him or her for 14 tries. The reward may be a privilege, like a play date or a playground trip.
  • Get exotic. Let your child pick out a new fruit or vegetable when you go to the grocery store or the local farmer's market. Think beyond foods you nor­ mally serve and try new types, like mangoes or kiwi.
  • Control the flow. Parents are largely in control of what foods enter the house. The next time you are grocery shopping, skip the fatty processed foods and grab healthy produce. Children, especially younger ones, have no choice but to eat food that is on hand.
  • Eat together. Research shows that children and adolescents whose families share at least one daily meal together are likelier to eat fruits and vegetables. Not every family member has to be there. Children should sit down with whichever parent is home every night for a meal — even if it is two people sitting together and sharing stories about their day.
  • Enlist their help. Kids are more apt to eat meals that they help prepare. Get their input on meal planning and then shop for and cook healthy foods together. Look online for recipes or cookbooks with healthy, child­friendly recipes using familiar foods and ingredients, and let your children improvise. You may come up with a new family favorite.
  • Be a role model. You are not the only one who keeps tabs on what you eat. Your kids also are eyeing your food choices. Set a good example by practicing what you preach. Children often will only eat fruits and vegetables that they see their parents eating — and enjoying.