My child won't eat vegetables: 10 pressure-free tips

Refusing vegetables is very common, especially between ages 2 and 6. Many children are wary of new, bitter flavours or unfamiliar textures, and that's part of normal development. What helps most is offering vegetables often, without pressure, and letting children get to know them in other ways, in the kitchen and even through play.

Why do children refuse vegetables?

• Wariness of anything new. It's normal at this age and usually eases over time.
• Bitter taste. Many green vegetables are more bitter, and children are more sensitive to that taste.
• Textures. Soft, stringy or "skinny" bits can be a reason to refuse.
• Pressure at the table. The more we insist, the more the meal turns into a tug of war.

10 tips to try at home

1. Offer often, without forcing

Many children only accept a new food after seeing and tasting it several times, sometimes more than 10. A "no" today isn't a "no" forever.

2. Small portions

A spoonful of vegetables on the plate is less daunting than half a plateful.

3. Next to foods they already like

A new vegetable next to their favourite rice or pasta is easier to accept.

4. Everyone eats the same

Children copy adults. Seeing parents enjoy vegetables counts for a lot.

5. Cook together

Washing, peeling, stirring and plating makes children want to taste "what they made".

6. Vary how you prepare them

The same carrot can be raw in sticks, roasted, in soup or grated. Sometimes the refusal is about the texture, not the vegetable.

7. No rewards or punishments

"If you eat your vegetables, you get dessert" teaches that vegetables are the punishment and dessert the reward. Serve dessert, if there is one, without linking it to the rest of the meal.

8. Let your child choose

At the supermarket or market, let them pick a vegetable to try that week.

9. Calm, screen-free meals

Without distractions, children pay more attention to what they eat and to their own appetite.

10. Play with food away from mealtimes

Getting to know foods without pressure to eat them also counts: drawing their favourite soup, counting the colours on the plate, making carrots and peas out of modelling clay. The modelling clay and pencils in the Rabiskas Level 1 kit are perfect for an afternoon of "playing market", where children set up their own vegetable stall.

Where to find more information

Portugal's Directorate-General of Health runs a national healthy eating programme with guides and recipes for families, in Portuguese (alimentacaosaudavel.dgs.pt).

When to talk to the paediatrician

Talk to your paediatrician if your child eats very few different foods, refuses whole food groups, often chokes or vomits, or if there is weight loss or slow growth.

Frequently asked questions

Can I hide vegetables in food?

Soups and sauces with vegetables are a good help, but it's also worth showing whole vegetables on the plate, so your child gets used to them.

Can fruit replace vegetables?

No. Fruit and vegetables have different nutrients and both are part of a balanced diet.

This article provides general information and does not replace an assessment by your paediatrician, family doctor or a nutritionist.