Won’T Touch That

Focus on the veggies your kids will eat, not on the ones they won’t, suggests food scientist Brian Wansink of Cornell University. Don’t give up too early on kids who don’t like vegetables.

Dr. Wansink and his colleagues identified favorite vegetables in a panel of mothers with 2 kids. Moms and kids could easily name a favorite veggie most of the time (for boys it was corn; for girls it was broccoli). Other faves included carrots, green beans (no kidding), potatoes, and tomatoes.

“Children may not like all vegetables all of the time, but they may like some vegetables some of the time,” Wansink said. “Keep serving the vegetables that kids prefer and don’t be discouraged if they turn up their noses at other vegetables. They may eventually like them if you continue to offer them, and if they see you enjoy them too.”

He suggests parents find ways to modify meals to accommodate veggie favorites into pizza, tacos, and pastas.