parents, do you force your kids to eat their veggies?

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Well, Im just 16 but I remember when I was kid and I got a 4 year old cousin now so I could asnwer a bit too :).

What comes to my cousin, they don`t really "force" their kid to eat veggies and stuff, but in time he says that he wants some :D
Of course, everyone has food they don`t like - in my case too, liver.

In my opinion, you should ask your kid few times to try new foods and stuff, but if he/she really doesn`t like it, then why force him to? As long as he/she eats some food, i would think its ok :)

Thanks.
 
When i was little, i was forced to eat everything even when i didnt like it by my nanny. When we moved away and my parents started cooking for me they let me have the choice but i became very fussy, i think this was because i was forced into it before.

Liver you shouldnt force on them because alot of people just hate it -even adults. But you can try and coax them into eating the veggies by making it fun for them instead of forceful. The veggie part is definatly more important, it will help them grow up to be fit, healthy teenagers and they will probably be more clever... its brain food.
 
When i was little, i was forced to eat everything even when i didnt like it by my nanny. When we moved away and my parents started cooking for me they let me have the choice but i became very fussy, i think this was because i was forced into it before.

Liver you shouldnt force on them because alot of people just hate it -even adults. But you can try and coax them into eating the veggies by making it fun for them instead of forceful. The veggie part is definatly more important, it will help them grow up to be fit, healthy teenagers and they will probably be more clever... its brain food.
 
I compromise on veggies to a degree. If my kids didn't like a vegetable, I'd find one they did like and often substitute it.
Sometimes I would disguise broccoli by running it through the food processor before adding it to casseroles.
For my son, I'd let him put barbecue sauce (his favorite) on any food he didn't like much before he ate it.
My daughter preferred fruit, so I'd often cut up some fresh fruit and let her eat that instead of a vegetable.
I think you have to be flexible, and work with your kids, instead of being heavy handed. You run the risk of having them hate food as adults if you push them too hard as kids.
 
or other foods they don't like, such as liver? what exactly is your rule about this? my hubby HAD to eat a serving of stuff he did not like, every time it was served (when he was a child). i HAD to at least try one bite of something new, and if i did not like it, i never had to try it again. this caused a little contention between us when raising our kids, because hubby always felt i was too permissive, which now, in hindsight, i have to agree, but not about the veggies! :)

what do you do?
 
I never forced my children to eat anything based on my childhood experiences. I was never forced to eat anything. As a child, I was very picky and vocal about my food likes and dislikes. But NOW, you probably CANNOT name any vegetable that I don't like. My children are basically the same.
 
If you train your children early enough, when they are toddlers, you wouldn't have to force them. My children LOVE vegetables!
 
Well, you should encourage them to eat veggies to keep them healthy. However, every now and again, do give them a "treat", and have a meal they enjoy, so that eating doesn't become almost a job for them.
 
Studies show that if a person tries a foodstuff 12 - 15 times they will learn to like it

There's so much obesity and ill health in the population that getting the kids to try vegetables at every meal (not necessarily eat them all) is a very sensible thing to do
 
I don't like liver, and I will not eat it. It makes no sense to force a child to eat something they find disgusting. I want them to try it if they can stomach it, but I pretty much trust them to know when they like or dislike something.

I'll ask them to try something new, at least a taste, and if they don't like it that's okay. If they don't like it, I may ask them to retry it again at some point, because as we grow, our taste preferences change.

As for veggies, my kids love them.
 
Studies show that if a person tries a foodstuff 12 - 15 times they will learn to like it

There's so much obesity and ill health in the population that getting the kids to try vegetables at every meal (not necessarily eat them all) is a very sensible thing to do
 
You are the parents. You are the wise ones. Your children are immature and unwise. Who chooses what's best for a child is the one who knows what's best for the child. Children do NOT know what's best for themselves. Parents DO know what's best for the children. Therefore it is the parent's responsibility to choose wisely for the children.

We don't let our children decide when to be "potty trained"; we don't let our children decide when they should go to school; we don't let our children decide whether or not to show respect, to obey, to be kind, and courteous.

Likewise, whether it's veggies, or religion, or school, or morality, or respect and obedience, it is up to the parents to teach the children. But make sure teaching is by example, not just with words.
 
Well, you should encourage them to eat veggies to keep them healthy. However, every now and again, do give them a "treat", and have a meal they enjoy, so that eating doesn't become almost a job for them.
 
You are the parents. You are the wise ones. Your children are immature and unwise. Who chooses what's best for a child is the one who knows what's best for the child. Children do NOT know what's best for themselves. Parents DO know what's best for the children. Therefore it is the parent's responsibility to choose wisely for the children.

We don't let our children decide when to be "potty trained"; we don't let our children decide when they should go to school; we don't let our children decide whether or not to show respect, to obey, to be kind, and courteous.

Likewise, whether it's veggies, or religion, or school, or morality, or respect and obedience, it is up to the parents to teach the children. But make sure teaching is by example, not just with words.
 
One bite to be polite, is our standing rule.

Veg is a must, so if they don't like it I prepare it different ways until they do.

Stews and veggie juice are a great way to get them to eat.

If you make your own juice using a juicer you can take the pulp and add it to soups, stews, pasta sauces...

Put the pulp into snack sized baggies and freeze them. Makes a quick nutrition boost for any meal.

Veggies don't have to be loathed, bland and a battle ground.

They can be sneaky and undetectable.

That's why so many live underground ;P
 
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