Children's Nutrition: Tricks of the Trade on How To Get Your Children To Eat Vegetables

Many children hate to eat vegetables but almost all children love superheroes. Combining the two apparently yields good results for those of you who aim best in your children's nutrition. A research has found that presenting vegetables as cartoon superheroes get children encouraged to eat vegetables.

Researchers used three different ways to increase children's preference for vegetables in 10 different schools in New York, according to EurekAlert. One approach involved wrapping banners with the images of the superhero vegetables called Super Sprowtz in the salad bar, the second was playing videos of Super Sprowtz and the last one was using the two approaches together.

Researchers from Ohio State University said pupils shown posters of cartoon vegetable characters at school were up... https://t.co/UGyqzxCF4x

— World Health News (@WorldHealthNews) July 5, 2016

Results Of Using Superhero Vegetables

The Super Sprowtz videos resulted to "a statistically insignificant increase in vegetable consumption," according to the New York Times. In schools with the superhero vegetable banners, 90.5 percent more students chose vegetables. A combination of the banners and the videos produced a 239.2 percent of vegetable intake among the children.

"If we put the time and good resources into marketing healthy choices to kids, it can work," study leader Andrew Hanks was quoted by EurekAlert as saying. Hanks is an assistant professor of human sciences at the Ohio State University. Hanks and his colleagues' study was published in Pediatrics.

Vegetables Meals For Your Children

Mothers too, can make their children eat their vegetables at home. One site has six recommended vegetable meals your children would enjoy. "Looking down at a plate of vegetables scares most kids away. So hiding vegetables in their favorite meals is a great solution," wrote Tana Bolinger in NewsOk.

While your children might enjoy regular mac and cheese and pizza, the recommended vegetable meals include baked cauliflower mac and cheese and squash pizza. There's also cauliflower mashed potatoes and zucchini lasagna.

What are your own tips for making children eat vegetables? Share your tips with us below.