Has Your Child Eaten These Growth Supporting Super Foods?
Alarmingly, almost seven in ten parents say their children have never eaten dark, leafy greens such as cavolo nero, while six in ten have not tried pak choi, fennel or tofu. Researchers from HelloFresh polled British parents with kids still living at home and revealed a host of super foods they have never even tried, with shitake mushrooms, aubergine and figs coming high in the list. Despite experts recommending a diet rich in colourful, unprocessed foods such as fruits and veggies, 41 percent of children have never tried asparagus, which is packed with vitamins and folic acid. And 37 percent have never eaten beetroot, known for being a great source of folate and potassium, and important for healthy growth and development.
Yet, as many as 40 percent of parents are worried about their child’s diet, with 23 percent saying healthy foods are too expensive, and 24 percent saying their kids don’t like the taste of vegetables. Three in ten (30 percent) said they have no idea how to use certain veggies in a recipe, while more than one in ten (14 percent) said their children would hate the texture of certain healthy foods.
As a result, the average family cooks with the same 10-15 ingredients every week, despite experts advocating a varied diet, which is not only good for the gut, but also help with growth.
As many as 78 percent complain their child is a fussy eater, although 30 percent say they are less fussy if they’ve been involved in cooking the meal themselves.
Over half of families worry their kids will become fussier if they don’t start incorporating more variety into their meals from a young age. Overall, a staggering 44 percent of parents said their children refuse to eat certain things, while almost one in ten (9 percent) struggle themselves to understand what a nutritional meal for a child should look like. In fact as many as 18 percent said family meal times make them feel overwhelmed and stressed, while 16 percent said thinking about what to cook for dinner made them feel exhausted.
Other challenges include getting children to eat without a screen (32 percent) and ensuring them to sit at the table for the duration of the meal (25 percent), according to the parents surveyed. The survey also revealed some of the classic white lies parents still tell their kids in a desperate bid to encourage them to eat with carrots helping you see in the dark (45 percent) and apple a day keeping their doctor away (36 percent) and spinach giving you muscles.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of best-selling book ‘Unprocess Your Life’, has worked with HelloFresh to help families embrace more adventure at dinnertime. The 60 Foods to try before you turn 10 challenge, illustrated by Bobbie Rae, gives families a range of natural (and often ignored) foods they can work together to tick off.
Rob Hobson said: “Getting kids to try new foods isn’t always easy but turning it into a fun challenge is a brilliant way to get them involved. It makes food discovery exciting and gives kids a real sense of achievement when they try something new. It’s scientifically proven that encouraging variety early on helps set us up for a more balanced diet and a love for varied, good food in the future. Plus, it’s a great way to bring families together at mealtimes, which we know is never easy!”
To help support families make their way through the challenge, the 60 foods will be showing up in new refreshed HelloFresh boxes which include at least two fruit and veg in every meal, more premium ingredients and a recyclable cool box. Customers will receive a physical chart to undertake the challenge in their meal kits this week. The interactive poster of 60 foods can then be coloured in once eaten as part of a meal helping to introduce new foods.
ROB’S TOP TIPS FOR ENCOURAGING FUSSY CHILDREN TO EAT A MORE VARIED DIET…
- The ‘Eat the Rainbow’ challenge – get kids excited about healthy eating with the fun and colourful ‘Eat the Rainbow’ challenge! Encourage them to explore a variety of fruits and veggies throughout the week. Watch their progress come to life in a vibrant, rainbow-coloured drawing. It’s an engaging and interactive way to make nutritious eating both fun and rewarding!
- Mystery taste test – blindfold your child and give them a small bite of a fruit or vegetable to guess. Keep it fun and pressure-free. If they don’t like it, that’s okay! It’s all about exploration.
- Food explorer – let kids take charge of choosing their meals to get them excited about food! You can use the HelloFresh app to explore different recipes together, letting them pick a meal they’d love to try. While deciding what to choose, find a new fruit or vegetable from the recipe to learn fun facts about and prepare together at dinner time. A great way to make mealtime more adventurous and hands-on!
- ‘Would you rather?’ – give your kids fun choices: “Would you rather eat a carrot that gives you superhero vision or a blueberry that boosts your brain power?” This can spark curiosity and helps them associate food with positive effects.
- Build-your-own plate – lay out different healthy options (veggies, grains, proteins) and let kids assemble their own meal. When they feel in control, they’re much more likely to eat what’s on their plate.
- Funny food names – rename foods to make them sound more exciting. Broccoli becomes ‘baby trees,’ chickpeas become ‘power beans,’ and sweet potatoes turn into ‘orange energy bites.’ Kids are more likely to try foods with fun names.
- The dipping game – let your kids experiment with different dips for veggies (hummus, guacamole, yogurt-based dips). They get to ‘test’ which combos they like best so it turns into a mini taste experiment!
- Start small and stay consistent – offer little portions of new foods alongside their favourites. Exposure is key as kids may need to see a food more than ten times before they feel comfortable trying it. No pressure, just persistence!
- Pair new foods with familiar ones – serve a small portion of a new food with something they already enjoy. For example, if they love pasta, mix in a few new vegetables rather than serving them separately.
- Make it a no-pressure zone – avoid using bribes or making a big deal about trying something. Instead, say, “It’s here if you’d like to try it.” and let them decide. Pressure can make kids push back harder.
Mimi Morley, Senior Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh adds: “We understand that getting dinner on the table can sometimes be a challenge for parents and we’re here to try and help take a small bit of pressure off. Small amounts of variety each week can make a big difference in the long term and gamifying healthy eating encourages exploration, which can make food more exciting. We’ve refreshed our boxes to offer customers more, with an increased range of ingredients delivered each week, you can start ticking off all 60 foods.”