How can we encourage our son to eat fruits and vegetables?
Consultant Neonatologist,
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital,
New Delhi
Q: My 11-year-old son has not touched any fruit or vegetable for over 5 years. He eats meat, bread and eggs. The closest we have come to make him eat a fruit, is drinking orange juice. He is on the skinny side, but overall a healthy child. He is on a lower scale in terms of height for his age. I am not sure if this is due to not eating fruits or vegetables. He does drink milk. We are concerned that if we take him to a food psychologist he will get a complex. We have taken him to his doctor and all they seemed to care about was his calorie intake. We do give him vitamins and encourage him to eat those. Please advise.
A:If your child is fine and eating other foodstuffs well, don't force him on vegetables and fruits. Just inculcate the habit of these intakes in the family and gradually he will start having it. If you keep bugging him, he will refuse to eat them even more strongly.