Why Don’t Kids Love their Veggies?
Post by Jennifer Donovan in Parent Wisdom | January, 17
It’s not a secret that getting kids to eat their vegetables isn’t easy. We offer our babies veggies first, because they are predisposed to sweet, and even the vegetable purees that they tend to enjoy are sweet vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and corn. But the healthiest diet includes foods across the color spectrum, and getting kids to eat those green vegetables isn’t always easy. Heck — it’s hard to get many adults to move beyond potatoes!
A new study shows that up to 70% of kids are bitter-sensitive, which means that bitter foods such as broccoli and cucumber really do have an unpleasant taste for them. But when offered dressing with their veggies — specifically Hidden Valley Ranch dressing — they ate 80% more vegetables. Also, using the Light version had exactly the same results (I have to say that I’ve been very impressed with Hidden Valley Ranch Light. There’s no difference in taste at all).
