It can be harrowing at times to get your child to eat broccoli. The green vegetable is known for its high protein content and nutrients, all of which are necessary for a growing child.
These benefits fly right out of the window when you want to convince your little one to have them.
From stubborn behaviour, tantrums to explosive blowouts, kids can do it all on the dinner table, much to the annoyance of parents.
You may think that your child is being unreasonable at that moment and displaying bad behaviour. But what if they genuinely do not like broccoli and have little control over it? That’s the question a new study raises about children hating broccoli.
Despite broccoli being a crucial food source for children, a study suggests that the overreactions may be biologically motivated in the child for no fault of their own.
So maybe you are the one who was overreacting at the dinner table last night.
Here’s what the new study entails and we tell you why your child needs to follow these 7 healthy eating habits to maintain a good diet.
Kids Hating Broccoli Not An Overreaction
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The study was recently published by Australian researchers in the September 2021 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The researchers sought to understand why children do not like the taste of vegetables called brassicas.
These are vegetables that are often fighting with the fork on the dinner table. This includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
The study builds on the data from previous research that found enzymes present in adult saliva, specifically cysteine lyases, react to enzymes in brassicas to create putrid, odorific sulphuric compounds in the mouth.
These compounds are also found in rotting meat.
Broccoli would taste like rotting meat to children
Researchers suggest that possibly children’s saliva could cause the same results, which is exactly why they would want to avoid eating broccoli.
They studied 98 parents and their children between the ages of six and eight years. This is usually when kids loathe broccoli.
Researchers added the children’s spit to raw cauliflower to measure the release in volatile, sulphuric compounds.
The study also included giving blind taste tests of cauliflower to the subjects to measure the revulsion of the vegetable.
The study concluded with the parents and children sharing similar saliva compositions, which resulted in similar levels of sulphuric compounds.
It also observed that there was a significant negative relationship between the amount of in-mouth sulfur volatile production and liking for raw cauliflower in children.
In simpler terms, kids can simply hate veggies because they biologically find them disgusting. It’s like parents are trying to feed the child rotting meat, so their insistence on not trying one seems justified.
So why do parents or adults at large like veggies? Shouldn’t they find it repulsive too?
Researchers suggest that years of exposure is likely to make the food more palatable to the adult tongue. Moreover, children are more sensitive to bitter and sour tastes than adults.
So, the dinner table from both ends seems justified. But now that you know, take it a little easy the next time.
Should You Drop Veggies From The Dinner Plate?
Of course, not liking a vegetable doesn’t mean you remove the food group from the dinner plate.
In most cases, forcing your child to eat broccoli even if they don’t like it is more about them defying your order than about feeding them nutritional food.
It turns out to be a power struggle more than anything else to get a child to try and like broccoli, Brussels sprout and more.
While some veggies may not be likeable to kids, several other veggies work as great alternatives.
At the same time, don’t forget that the research found kids warm up to broccoli as they turn older and are gradually exposed to more and different food choices.
So, you can be certain that kids will come around eventually when it comes to finishing their greens.
If Not Broccoli Then What?
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If your child does not like broccoli right now, don’t worry. You can try out these other veggies instead that offer similar levels of nutritional value:
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- Kale
- Green beans
- Asparagus
- Baby spinach
- Bok choy
7 Healthy Eating Habits That Your Child Need To Follow
1. Eat in moderation
Not just on the dinner table but in life too, moderation is the key to success. Eating everything on the dinner table in moderate quantity ensures a balanced meal and a high intake of nutrition.
2. Portion control
With kids, parents also need to keep a check on portion control. Favourite food recipes can be gobbled up in truckloads and before you know, the little one is trying to lose extra kilos.
3. Do not skip meals
Skipping meals does not work for adults or kids. It brings your energy levels down and can even cause your blood sugar level to drop. Not ideal when you are a child. Skipping meals will also slow down your metabolism further contributing to weight gain.
4. Drink water
Staying hydrated. Water has amazing benefits for your body and nutrition and can do wonders for the little one in keeping them fresh and active.
5. Encourage your child to eat slowly
A child will be able to identify that they are full better when they eat slowly. Before they go for a second helping of the food of their choice, ask them to take a small break to determine if they want to eat that much again.
This allows the brain to register the fullness. Even if the child is hungry, the second helping will be smaller than the first allowing for a natural way to portion control.
Make sure to add more veggies in the second helping for your little one.
6. Discourage eating in front of a TV
One of the 7 healthy eating habits that are crucial is dedicating a space in the house for food.
It should either be the dining table or the kitchen that does not involve electronic devices. No phones, television, and games, when you have a meal to finish.
This ensures kids pay attention to what they eat and how much they eat.
7. Eat meals together as a family
Probably overlooked in several homes but eating time can be a bonding time for the family.
As a thumb rule, try to have at least one meal of the day with the family where you take out the time to talk to each other. It should be a space of healthy conversation and pleasant food.
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