How do you keep it cozy at the table and ensure that your child eats his or her plate empty?
How do you keep it cozy at the table and ensure that your child eats his plate empty?
June 17 is International Eat Your Vegetable Day. Is it always pleasant at your dining table? How do you ensure that your child finishes his plate? Meal box company Hellofresh investigated this.
June 17 is International Eat Your Vegetable Day. Is it always pleasant at your dining table? How do you ensure that your child finishes his plate? Meal box company Hellofresh investigated this.
and June 17: International Eat Your Vegetables Day
and-What are we eating today?
Most parents have difficulty thinking about what exactly they put on the table (41%), followed by introducing variation into the weekly menu (33%). Letting your child eat new things (31%), leaving the plate empty (30%) and letting them eat vegetables (29%) are also in the top 5 struggles of Dutch parents.
en-Utrecht has the most adventurous children
In the center and south of the country, half of parents think they have adventurous children at the dinner table, ten percent more than in the rest of the country. We also see differences per city. An adventurous child means they love unfamiliar foods. The most adventurous children live in Utrecht (54%) and the least in Maastricht (39%). Amsterdam kids are not doing too badly either, more than a fifth of their parents even call them 'very adventurous', while in Arnhem this is only 12%.
and-Try new things? Vegetables are the hardest!
Two-thirds of Dutch parents say that their children have difficulty trying new things. Raw and cooked vegetables are by far at the top of the list! In Groningen and Maastricht, almost half of all children have no difficulty with a specific product group, and only a third of children there have difficulty with vegetables. While in Amsterdam half of the children prefer not to try new vegetables! So it's high time we look at how we can make that easier...and-Eat your plate empty, including your vegetables! 5 Tips for Hopeless Parents:
en-Tip 1: Variation in the weekly menu
Variation in the weekly menu is the second most difficult thing parents have to deal with, but still leaves 40% with empty plates. So it is definitely worth investing a little more time and effort! Did you know that 50% of Dutch parents cook with only 5-10 ingredients per week? That could be better! You make it easy for yourself, for example, by planning the menu for the entire week during the weekend. You can also save the leftovers and make a delicious fresh vegetable soup at the end of the week, or pie, pizza, there are plenty of dishes to use leftovers.
en-Tip 2: Involve your child in the preparation
A third of parents indicate that it motivates a child to finish his plate if he has helped with the cooking. Of course, this does not necessarily have to mean filleting the salmon or flambéing the crème brûlée, a child can quickly help with washing the carrots. If you want to be completely assured of success, let your child decide what to eat. Almost half of parents experience that this helps and 20% say that this also helps to let your child try new things.
en-Tip 3: Don't outsmart your child
Do you think you are being smart by bribing your child? Extra screen time, dessert... only a fifth of parents indicate that this makes sense. Do you hide the beans under the meat? Or do you cut the pepper so small that it no longer stands out in the pasta sauce? Too bad: most children also don't fall for hiding or disguising vegetables (85%).en-Tip 3: Don't outsmart your child
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