Every parent knows the dinner-time battle: you spend ages preparing a meal, only for your child to take one look at it and declare, “I don’t like it!”
So, how do you tackle fussy eating without turning every meal into a fight? Nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo has five simple tips, plus two sneaky recipes packed with veggies.
The 5 Tips –
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Tip 1 Serve it differently, not just repeatedly
Same vegetable, different form — roasted, raw, spiralised, blended, dipped
Kids often reject a texture, not the food itself
Try: raw carrot with hummus, roasted broccoli with a little olive oil and salt, cauliflower “nuggets” crumbed and baked ( could have these on the bench)
Tip 2 Hide vegetables in the meals they already love
The single most reliable way to get vegetables into a fussy child
Grate zucchini and carrot into Bolognese, meatballs and burgers
Blend spinach and cauliflower into pasta sauces, soups and smoothies ( could have this on the bench)
Pumpkin into mac and cheese, cauliflower into mash, beetroot into brownies
Tip 3 Keep offering, no pressure ( CHAT/ question )
Research shows it can take up to 15 attempts before a child accepts a new food
Keep putting it on the plate, don’t make them eat it, don’t make a big deal if they don’t
No bribes, no rewards, no “just one bite” pressure backfires every time
Tip 4 Portion size and plate presentation ( could have a cute plate set up )
A crowded plate looks overwhelming to a small child
Use smaller plates and serve less
Leave room around each item kids eat with their eyes first
Bright colours, fun shapes, food on sticks all work
The rule: less on the plate, more likely to be eaten
Tip 5 Eat together and model it ( chat) / question)
Kids learn to eat by watching adults eat
Sit down together whenever you can, even for 15 minutes
Eat the same food they’re eating not a different “adult meal”
Let them help with shopping and simple prep , they eat what they’ve helped make
The most powerful habit of all: family meals, no screens, no phones
Ingredients
Makes 12
2 large ripe bananas
2 large handfuls (about 2 cups) baby spinach
2 eggs
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Handful of dark chocolate chips (optional — a small handful goes a long way)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Blend the bananas, spinach, eggs, olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a blender until completely smooth and vibrant green.
3. Pour into a large bowl. Fold in the flour, oats and cinnamon until just combined.
4. Fold in blueberries and chocolate chips.
5. Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 18-22 minutes, until golden and springy.
6. Cool on a rack.
7. Sarah’s tip: These freeze brilliantly for lunchboxes.
