Confession time… my kids dislike fruit and vegetables. Each child has a few favorites, but as a whole they squirm and grimace when something green in color is set in front of them. It is my goal to change this in my kids. I want them to like most fruits and veggies, and actually smile when they see a piece of broccoli on their plate. I have, in the past, hid fruits and veggies in other foods in an attempt to trick them into eating the good stuff. It has worked, but they haven’t developed a taste for all things healthy.
So, I have developed a plan. I am going to pay my children to try new foods. Laugh at me if you will, but I think my idea might work. Each day I introduce a few fruits and vegetables. If they try the food I pay them a dime. Yes I am cheap, my oldest kids actually laughed when I told them about the pay out, but it is working.
I made up a list with my kids names at the top and the fruits and veggies down the left side. When they try a food we put either a y (like it) or n (don’t like it) in the box under their name. I can keep track of which foods were tried and I now have a running list of healthy foods my kids like or dislike. Some of the items on the list are foods we eat regularly but certain kids don’t ever try them. Others are items I never buy because I don’t like them. My husband was excited about this plan until I informed him that grown-ups don’t get paid for trying new foods.
Our first food was yellow pepper. My child who loves yellow peppers was excited to earn an easy dime. The other kids were not as enthused.
Last night we tried sweet potato and broccoli. The broccoli was a big thumbs up, but the sweet potato was not a winner.
Today for lunch we tried strawberries and blueberries. My kids eat a lot of strawberries in smoothies, but don’t eat fresh ones very often. The blueberries were a big, big flop. No one liked them. At least they will eat the blueberries in smoothies. The strawberries earned a thumbs up.
We are heading out of town for the weekend so there will probably be little new foods tried, but I plan to start up again when we return home on Monday. If you are interesting in bribing your kids to try new foods, you can download my check-off chart.
Joelle says
I think it’s a great idea especially for trying the first few times around. i had not thought of it but might try that, as my kids, especially the 2 year old one, shys away from vegetables like a plague. I am quite happy that they do like oranges, apples and strawberries though.
Katie says
This is genius. People pay their kids to do chores, so why not pay them to TRY foods that will make them healthier!?? My son used to eat anything, now he looks at his dinner plate and automatically says, “I don’t like it” without tasting it, let alone barely smelling it!
Angela says
My big boys are pretty good about eating a variety of fruits and veggies, but my youngest is DEFINITELY my picky eater. As a baby, he’d eat every variety of fruit or veggie baby food. But when it came to table food – ACK! He is now 7, and he’ll eat salad (lettuce, a sprinkle of cheese, croutons, and dressing), broccoli, and sometimes peas. But he’s not a big fan of fruit. I keep trying……. I feel your pain!
Jen says
OK, I guess I need to shut my mouth when I complain my kids don’t eat, lol…with the exception of the zucchini and spaghetti squash (which they eat but moan about), mine love everything on the list!
Sonshine says
My kids don’t like fruits and veggies either. I grew up loving a whole lot of fruits and veggies so I am having a hard time with my kids not eating them or eating just a select few.
Thanks for sharing your tip! I might just have to try it and see what happens esp. with my kid that thinks apples and carrots are the ONLY fruits and veggies in the food pyramid! LOL
Breanne Vasquez says
Ha – this is great. Mine is still to young to care about money but maybe i could usesomething else.
Amy says
Well… you might be a little bit crazy. 😉 Kidding. Getting kids to eat healthy food can sometimes be a battle. I remember when my oldest was two and we were sitting down for supper one night. She was voicing her (negative) opinion on the meal and I calmly replied “At this house we eat what’s served or we don’t eat at all.” Her answer… remember, she was TWO at the time… “Well, then, Mommy. I want to move to a DIFFERENT house!” Lovely. I am thankful, however, that this is the same child of mine who (3 years later) begs for fresh broccoli at nearly every meal.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings says
It’s nice to see someone else actually admit that their kids don’t like fruits and vegetables. I have been making mine try some things though. They haven’t all the sudden liked anything they didn’t like before, but at least they’re trying it. Our youngest does love quite a few fruits and veggies though — go figure.
Lawanda says
My kids like most stuff. If they don’t like something, I make them at least try it about a hundred times til they just eat it to get me to stop putting it in front of them 😉 So basically I torture them into it! muwahahaha 😉