How UK adults trick their children into healthy eating, poll reveals

Many children complain they don’t like something before having even tried it

Some parents said they get their children to choose fruit and vegetables in the supermarket (Getty Images)

Parents have revealed the tricks they use to get their children to eat a healthy diet - which include giving food silly names, grating vegetables into dishes and letting them eat in front of the TV.

A poll of 2,000 parents with children aged between two and six, found 82 per cent consider their kids to be 'fussy eaters'.

More than half of those 'fussy' diners will complain they don’t like something - before they have even tried it.

As a result, seven in 10 parents have to resort to trickery in the kitchen or make mealtime choices and food selection a little more inclusive.

Top of the list is letting the children choose their own fruit and veg in the supermarket.

Other tactics include giving children the opportunity to choose the family meals each week, eat with their fingers rather than a knife and fork and only allowing pudding if all the fruit and vegetables have been eaten.

But some of the more creative tricks included chopping fruit into breakfast cereal and sprinkling grated cheese onto a dish to hide the ‘healthy’ food.

It seems to be working though as eight in 10 felt the tactics are generally successful.

Mark Simester, managing director at Soreen, which commissioned the survey, said: "For many parents, getting your children to eat nutritious foods, such as fruit and veg and foods that are a source of fibre, can prove immensely tricky.  

"Often because young children simply don’t like the taste or prefer something sweeter and more treat-like. 

“But this research has shown that parents often need to get creative when it comes to getting kids to eat the right foods. 

"While children can be fussy eaters, it’s important they get the nutrients they need from fruit and vegetables and there are options available out there that are still tasty and convenient, to help them to do this.”

The poll also found that children are most likely to be fussy when it comes to vegetables, along with meat, fish and fruit.

The average parent however faces three mealtimes a week where their children will refuse to eat the food on their plate, while vegetables will be left untouched four times a week.

More than half of parents said their children dislike Brussels sprouts, with avocados, mushrooms, beetroot and cabbages also on the ‘hate’ list.

Instead, given the choice, three in 10 parents said their kids would happily eat chips with either sausages, fish or nuggets, while a few would prefer a bowl of pasta.

As a result, many parents must be clever with mealtimes to ensure their children eat everything on their plates, with seven in 10 always buying the same fruit and vegetables once they find something their youngster likes.

The majority of parents turn to mealtime tricks as they want to make sure their kids are getting the right nutrients, while five in 10 do it to educate their children about the importance of eating a balanced diet.

But three in 10 admitted it simply makes life a lot easier.

It also emerged that eight in 10 parents said their children have a sweet tooth with 59 per cent using the incentive of a sugary treat to get them to eat something healthy first.

Three in 10 of those polled via OnePoll admitted to bribing their children with sugary snacks to get them to eat all their fruit and vegetables on the plate while just two in 10 do so to get their kids to work hard at school.

SWNS