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A New year opens the door to new possibilities. The key is which is essentially learning, unlearning and relearning. Food and Agriculture Organization has declared 2021 as the International Year for Fruits and Vegetables. We all know that veggies are good for us yet translating it into food choices is easier said than done. What then influences our choices? And how can we overcome the challenges.
- Instinctive Choice: Babies prefer sweet and salty tasting foods over bitter and sour ones. This is an evolutionary instinct to protect us from consuming poisonous foods and instead consume sweet foods like berries which may contain natural sugars needed for meeting our energy needs. Vegetables especially the green vegetables are inherently bitter in taste.Introducing home made vegetable and fruit purees during weaning after the age of 6 months helps.
- Giving Up on Repeating offerings of Vegetables and fruits: Patiently encouraging tasting of novel foods helps in breaking down resistance. Lucy Cooke has aptly summed it up- “Put simply, children like what they know and they eat what they like.” Certain foods need to be offered over 15-20 times over time to be appreciated and accepted.Be patient and keep offering vegetables and fruits till they develop a palate.
- Emotionally Unfavorable Meal Environments: Disordered eating may also be associated with parental pressure/force feeding. Parenting styles is therefore critical during the first years of the child’s growth. Make meal times fun times.
- Family Members as poor role models: Child are great imitators and mirror our habits. They tend to follow by example as not advice. So, parents be great role models, do choose a minimum of 4-5 serves of vegetables and fruits per day.
- Maternal Diet during Pregnancy and Lactation: There is limited but consistent evidence which suggests that the flavors of a mother’s diet may get transferred through the amniotic fluid which is swallowed by the fetus and through breast milk eg: carrot, garlic, mint and may influence the child’s food acceptability and over all dietary intake.Conscious choosing to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits especially during pregnancy and lactation may help the child to appreciate new tastes.
Shopping and preparing a diverse range of vegetables and fruits, and frequently offering them to kids and eating meals together in a happy environment will go a long way in creating great health for years to come.
