Eating Veggies

I know parents who are very strict with their children about eating everything on their plate including what they don't like. I think that it's a wonderful habit to cultivate. However, Joshua and I both love to chat during mealtimes and we want family dinners to be an enjoyable time to eat and interact among family members without distractions and we're therefore unwilling to force the issue. To aid good dining etiquette, we have no TV or toys near the dining table, not that our TV is used at all normally anyways, and we focus on table manners such as leaving the table only when one is totally done with food and drink (there's no coming back after leaving), keeping mess to the minimum and talking only when one finishes chewing.

As for eating food that one dislikes, we parents set the example by trying everything set at the table. We talk about nutrition when we eat and encourage through education and coaxing. I will purposely cook with ingredients which they like and make sure that everything adds up to a balanced diet in the course of the week. Instead of giving biscuits or other sweet snacks during tea break, I am very extravagent in letting the kids try all sorts of fruits, even the expensive ones. Thus, even if they don't eat much vegetables during dinner, I won't need to fret over it. 

Jayna is great at eating her veggies. She is willing to eat even brinjals, bitter gourds, peas and long beans! Jaide is fine with most veg as long as they are soft and cut up enough for her to chew easily. Joash is the direct opposite. He hates vegetables and it takes a lot of persuasion for him to even try a bite. We can tell he has already decided that he hates it even before the food gets into his mouth! He used to like broccoli in cheese, corn and carrots. But in the recent year, he has lost that taste. Once in a while, he takes a few pieces of leafy veg, provided the sauce is flavourful enough. Thus, it's time to use other methods of encouragement. 

Recently, the kids watched a Hello Kitty cartoon at the grandparents' place which talked about eating food they don't like. Inspired, I made 'medals' and will let them wear it for an hour if they manage to eat the food they dislike. The last attempt was the green peppers but only Jayna was willing to finish it up. This time, I bought really cute looking tomatoes and made the tomatoe 'medals', hoping that Joash would at least try them. We shall see how it goes... :P

Jayna's green pepper medal