Vegetables are one type of food group that children don't like. This also includes the son of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, who is said to have never eaten vegetables at all!
Teigen herself is actually known as one of the celebrities who has reliable cooking skills, even having two best-selling cookbooks. It's not surprising that people think that their children tend to have easy appetites.
But in fact, it's not that easy, Mother. Teigen admits that there is one food group that is very important but rarely consumed by her children: vegetables.
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Teigen's son never eats vegetables
Teigen shared that her 5-year-old son, Miles, “never” even eats vegetables. Quoted from Romper, Teigen admitted that she was helpless because her children had a picky eater condition.
Teigen told this when she was a guest star on a talk show. At that time, the host asked whether Teigen's four children were easy eaters or not. This 38 year old woman also admitted that her children rarely eat vegetables.
“Miles accidentally ate vegetables once. He accidentally ate broccoli in fried rice and was very upset about it,” said Teigen.
Because of this condition, Teigen also had to speak directly with Miles' school about his picky eating habits.
“I don't mind it too much. I understand that this is the only thing they can control at that age, so they certainly use it,” he added.
Apart from that, his daughter, Luna, is also known to be picky about food. Therefore, Teigen now invites her daughter more often, especially in the cooking process, in the kitchen so that she wants to try new foods.
Why is eating vegetables important for children?
Quoted from Raising Children, vegetables provide energy, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and water. Consuming vegetables is also believed to help protect children from the risk of chronic diseases later in life, including heart disease, stroke and several types of cancer.
A healthy diet means consuming enough vegetables, plus a variety of foods from other main food groups.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend children aged:
Ages 1-2 years should consume 2-3 servings of vegetables every day. Ages 2-3 years should consume 2½ servings of vegetables every day. Ages 4-8 years should consume 4½ servings of vegetables every day
Tips for getting children to like eating vegetables more
Here are some tips that mothers can do so that their little ones prefer to eat vegetables:
1. Set a good example
In general, children learn about food choices from their parents. So, one of the best ways to encourage children to like eating vegetables is to let them see you eat and enjoy them.
Eating with the family is a good time to teach children about healthy eating, including eating vegetables. Family meals such as stir-fries, curries or pasta can be served with more vegetables.
2. Keep trying
It's natural for children to say that they don't like vegetables the first time they taste them. If your child doesn't like certain vegetables, try offering some of those vegetables with other healthy foods that your child likes.
Some children need to try a new food up to 10 times before they finally like it.
3. Give praise when your child wants to try vegetables
When parents praise children when they eat or try vegetables, they will most likely be interested in eating vegetables again. Praise is quite effective in increasing your little one's interest, you know.
However, try not to let praise become the main focus at mealtime. Remember that your goal is to encourage your child to eat vegetables because the child really likes them, not just because of praise.
That's a review of the story of Chrissy Teigen's son who is a picky eater and never even eats vegetables. If your little one also has this problem and it starts to interfere with his eating patterns, don't delay consulting a doctor, Mother!
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(rap/rap)