Got a kid who turns up his nose at just about any food that comes out of the ground? Here's a trick for getting him to open wide: Name that vegetable! Researchers at Cornell University found that when preschoolers were told that ordinary carrot sticks were called "x-ray vision carrots," they ate almost twice as many of them. Not only that, but the kids continued to eat more carrots, even when they didn't carry the catchy name. The strategy worked because "framing healthy foods in ways that children can relate to helps encourage tasting and eating," says study coauthor Collin Payne, Ph.D.
To come up with fun names that will make vegetables more appealing to your child, start by thinking about what his favorite interests are. If he's into super-heroes, say, he might be more likely to down Brussels sprouts if you sell them as "muscle sprouts." Fairy fans might be more excited about sliced zucchini rounds if they're labeled "pixie rings." Some more ideas, just to get you started:
Broccoli = Dinosaur trees
Salad greens = Bunny food
Cherry tomatoes = Ketchup berries
Peas = Power peas
Beans = Magic beans
Asparagus = Super spears
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