The science of picky eating
It takes 8-15 exposures for a child to accept a new vegetable. Most parents give up after 3.
5 evidence-based tricks
- Let them touch the soil — kids who garden eat 2x more vegetables (UC Davis study).
- Re-frame the colour — call beetroot "superhero red" or spinach "green dragon power".
- Pair with familiar dips — hummus, ketchup, yogurt-mint. Lower the barrier.
- Cook with them — kids eat 76% more of what they help prepare.
- Family modelling — they copy you. Eat veggies first, with visible enjoyment.
What NOT to do
Bribing ("eat 2 bites for ice cream") makes kids dislike veggies *more*, long-term. Trust the process.
Our Family Farm Box comes with a kid-friendly recipe card every week.