When my daughter, Jane, was 18 months old or so, our family got into the habit of ?toasting? with vegetables?raising, say, a tender roasted carrot slice to the middle of the dinner table instead of our glasses. It added some fun to mealtimes, and it reassured Jane that this deeply suspicious new item on her plate was OK, since we were all eating it at the same time.
Parents know veggies?packed with important nutrients and fibre?are important. And although they can sometimes be a tough sell for toddlers, who may not like the texture, bitterness or unusual flavours, experts agree that serving them often and from a young age is best. ?Parents may try two or three times and then give up,? says Jennifer House, a registered dietitian and mom of three. But studies show that your kid may need to try a new vegetable 10 to 15 times over a number of meals before she accepts it. And it?s worth noting that there?s an important window in the under-24-months age range: Researchers have found that, developmentally speaking, kids under age two are down with trying more new foods than those between two and six.
.related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:0.5rem;margin-left:0.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

5 science-backed ways to get your picky eater to try new foods So just how many vegetables does your kid need to eat in a day" Canada?s Food Guide re...