People who tell you their kids happily tuck into beetroot and feta salads? The majority of children are selective, and you just have to navigate it. If they see you eating vegetables often enough, eventually they come round.
Acey is 10, lifts weights and is seriously into rugby; he’s already training with boys older than him. He’s constantly burning energy, so my job is to get food into him before he realises he’s hungry. If I wait for him to ask, all he’ll want is whatever comes in the brightest wrapper.
He eats loads of meat and fish, loves cheese and salami, and we’ll make omelettes, burgers or cheese toasties with cured meat. He’s started making his own smoothies, too, blitzing frozen mango and pineapple with a mixture of coconut and cow’s milk. He’d never choose fruit, but if I put a chopped apple in front of him, he’ll eat it.
This is also true of breakfast; he’ll say he’s not hungry, but if I put yoghurt, honey and granola in front of him, it’ll disappear. Vegetables are still a work in progress. Sweetcorn, peas and carrots are fine, but anything greener needs a bit of encouragement.
That’s where the old chef’s tricks come in. A tomato sauce packed with blended vegetables, a bolognese or stew cooked low and slow, or getting him to thread peppers on to kebabs or build his own pizza. If he’s involved, he’s more likely to eat it.
We don’t eat together enough during the week because of my work hours, but weekends are different. The barbecue goes on, everything gets dumped in the middle of the table – burgers, chicken, pitta, hummus, salad – and everyone helps themselves. He dodges the salad, but he’ll happily mop up the olive oil with warm bread, and that’s a start.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
