An article regarding encouraging kids to eat their veggies.
It reminds me of a documentary I watched some years ago regarding the introduction of pickled cabbages on British Navy ships to prevent scurvy.
The sailors would not eat it until the captain and other officers had it served in their mess.
When the sailors learned that the officers were eating it, they changed their minds and tucked in.
Leading by example.
This is not rocket science. Children learn most of their behaviour when young from their parents and their siblings. If they are served different food or only encouraged to eat food that they like, then this will potentially set them up for problems later in life.
We have always provided the same meals to our child that we eat, every since he was about 10 months old. This included cuisines from Asian (central, eastern and southern), European, central and southern American), Middle Eastern and African. As a result, all is eaten, sometimes begrudgingly, even if it is not one’s favourite foods.
We also buy unusual fruits and vegetables from our local Asian markets so that they can be tried to broaden the taste buds. Not only is it interesting, it allows us to critique different flavours and textures.
We have many friends that cooked their children ‘special’ meals when they were young and invariably have problems with their older children eating a variety of different foods (fruit and vegetables). They think we are very lucky, but it wasn’t luck, just allowing our child’s taste to develop along with the smells from cooking in the kitchen.
You and I know that but the article may help some parents who are struggling to get their kids to eat their fruit and veggies.
It was not a problem we had.
When our son was very young, we heard a crash in the kitchen early one morning and we got out of bed to investigate. He had picked up a large glass jar of green olives from the fridge which dropped and smashed on the tiled floor. How many little kids like olives?
When we went out to a restaurant one night when he was about 13, he ordered the snails and enjoyed them, something I definitely never intend to try.
Our younger daughter could out compete a flock of fruit bats with her voracious appetite for all types of fruit and veggies.
And all 3 of them love international cusine, especially Asian meals.
When I started to cook for myself, the reason of my dislike of vegetables became clear: my mum over- cooking them to death!
The Asian way of stir frying makes for crispy, tasty, veggies, and I combine that with the Italian flavours I’m more used to.
But I still will not have broccoli (like the ex president Bush)
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How have you cooked and served your broccoli?
We place the florets in a ceramic soup dish with brussel sprouts if available, and place snow peas, sugar snap peas and/or asparagus stalks on top, place a small amount of water in the dish, cover with cling wrap and cook on high in the microwave for 5 minutes, lift the edge of the film and drain, and add a generous amount of Pro Active buttery spread.
Broccoli is the only cooked green vegatable my wife usually eats, and it is my favourite vegetable.
Absolutely delicious. The only thing better is broccoli au gratin.
However, the half cooked broccoli served at many venues without any butter is revolting.
It’s actually the smell of broccoli that put’s me off, @Fred123 .
Will try the microwaved Brussel sprouts etc., (minus broccoli) sounds delicious 
I have never noticed a smell with broccoli but I always ensure that I cherry pick through the broccoli at Coles which they display on crushed ice so as to ensure that I get a very firm piece with a really tight head.
Woollies broccoli is not displayed on ice and it quickly becomes limp, and after the recent Townsville floods. the broccoli they had in Cairns was half yellow.
Brussel sprouts have a more noticable smell which does not bother me but my wife only likes them partly steamed in the microwave, cut in half, and pan fried with chopped bacon rashers.
Yummy.
An article regarding some tips to get kids to eat vegetables and healthy snacks.
Do we need tricks to get grown ups to eat more vegetables as well as our children?
Or does logic and evidence over-rule our own best judgement?
Examples such as the following cause one to question are we eating too much meat.
Another healthy tip is that one serve of lean meat (65gm) per day is the recommended maximum. If that does not sound like a lot, it isn’t. Ask the butcher for a 65gm fillet steak and see what is offered up. More importantly that is your total recommended intake of all protein for the day. Cross fish, nuts, chicken, eggs, fatty sausage, ham etc off the list until tomorrow.
Perhaps the best trick in getting kids to eat their veges aside from making them taste great is to do the same your self and offer alternatives only once a day in small quantities. Tougher on parents than the kids. It is also great to think it might keep you out of a nursing home and gardening until you turn 100. 
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How much quantity of probiotic is necessary for kids?
Welcome to the forum @Hazelsmith
If your child has a healthy diet, with good levels of fibre, it is unlikely they will need any additional probiotics supplements as their existing gut flora will be healthy.
There are also reports that taking priobiotics supplements may not be as effective as one thinks they are. Firstly the probiotic taken must be fresh and active, the species consumed must also be able to survive the highly acidic stomach (and suitable for the consumers gut) and then pass through the intestine and colon. There is other evidence that there is some effect, but whether it makes one’s gut flora better, is something which may or may not be the case.
What has been shown is a good diet of fresh foods, high in fibre and also low in food additives/processed food can improve the good bacteria/flora in ones gut in the long term. If one eats such a diet, the food bacteria will dominate reducing the influences of ‘bad’ bacteria/flora.
These websites contain useful information…
Also, with children, it is possible something to discuss with your healthcare professional/doctor to understand the risks and effects of probiotic consumption on a young gut.
A genius trick to get kids to eat their veggies.
