Parenting is tough, especially when it comes to ensuring your children eat a balanced diet. But it seems mums and dads have plenty of tricks up their sleeves, as some children believe they never eat vegetables.
A new study by Warburtons revealed a surprising number of children believe they never eat vegetables.
Warburtons researched 1,000 parents and their children aged between 6 and 11, to discover the hacks mum and dads use to get them to eat vegetables.
Research found that the most popular methods were not allowing any desserts until they’ve eaten their main course, sneakily grating vegetables into meals and freezing fruits to create ice lollies or sorbets.
Thankfully for parents, these hacks seem to work after finding out 31 per cent of children had secretly eaten broccoli despite claiming to hate it.
Read more: 50 healthy family meals
The study revealed that some parents offer rewards to encourage children to eat their veggies.
Methods included letting their child choose something in the food shop, like dessert, or even rewarding them with more screen time.
Parents also revealed which meals were the easiest to sneak vegetables into. Sandwiches, stews and spaghetti bolognese were among those popular with savvy parents.
Warburtons commissioned this research to celebrate the launch of its new Half White Half Wholemeal range of products, which contain Vitamin D and Calcium.
ITV doctor, Dr Zoe Williams, partnered with Warburtons on this research. She said, “Nothing can fully prepare you for parenting – no matter how many books you read or classes you attend.
“But there are clever ways to get by as, let’s face it, it’s not the easiest job and getting kids to bed on time, and getting them to tidy their room, eat their vegetables and ensuring they get the nutrients they need can feel like a constant battle."
She added, "Warburtons’ recent findings just goes to show how much mums and dads rely on little ‘shortcuts’ to help their little ones."
Which tricks do you most rely on? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook!
