My child doesn't want to eat vegetables... What can I do?
Eduardo Fedriani
It is very common in many families for dinner time to be a torment rather than a happy and bonding moment. The little one struggles because they refuse to eat, and you struggle because doubts arise, such as: How far should I push? How much do they need to eat to get enough nutrients? Will it always be like this? At Smileat, we advocate for a balanced and healthy child nutrition, so we want to give you some guidelines to manage these tense moments. Let’s start by talking about VEGETABLES. They are usually a type of food that doesn’t excite little ones due to their acidity and fibrous texture. Also, they hear their peers speak badly about them, so they are already predisposed not to like them... What do we do about this? Let’s make them attractive! Isn’t it a reason to celebrate when you order a pizza at home? Why don’t we celebrate when we eat spinach to get strong like Popeye? If you prepare different and fun fruit and vegetable dishes, they will surely start eating them. As you know, to introduce vegetables, you can always count on our organic vegetable purees of Mixed Vegetables and Pumpkin and Zucchini. 
What if they like to eat but eat very slowly and get distracted by everything? Is that a problem? As we know, eating slowly and chewing well is the right way to maintain a healthy diet. If we see that it’s not just slow but extremely slow, let’s set reasonable time limits and take the plate away. If you don’t give them snacks between meals, when the next meal comes, they will be more eager to eat at a good pace. Another big problem is... My child doesn’t like to eat. Let’s not be dramatic. This can happen for several reasons: some days they may not have as much appetite as usual, and if this happens occasionally, it’s okay—we don’t always have the same hunger; other times, the little one may feel unwell—when we feel off, have chills, or pain, we might not feel like eating, which is also normal and not a cause for alarm; finally, in response to the classic “I don’t like the food,” let’s explain that there are different types of foods, and many of them they will like. Let’s try them in a fun and balanced way, and we’re sure to find recipes with the necessary nutrients that they will enjoy. Many of you may be wondering, what are the necessary nutrients? According to the FAO/WHO, the energy requirements necessary for children are: 
*Nutritional requirement is defined as the minimum amount of a specific nutrient that an individual needs to maintain an optimal state of health, being able to prevent the appearance of clinical manifestations of malnutrition or specific deficiencies. In children, requirements are determined according to the amount of each nutrient necessary to maintain satisfactory growth and development. Requirements may vary quantitatively from one individual to another.
What if they like to eat but eat very slowly and get distracted by everything? Is that a problem? As we know, eating slowly and chewing well is the right way to maintain a healthy diet. If we see that it’s not just slow but extremely slow, let’s set reasonable time limits and take the plate away. If you don’t give them snacks between meals, when the next meal comes, they will be more eager to eat at a good pace. Another big problem is... My child doesn’t like to eat. Let’s not be dramatic. This can happen for several reasons: some days they may not have as much appetite as usual, and if this happens occasionally, it’s okay—we don’t always have the same hunger; other times, the little one may feel unwell—when we feel off, have chills, or pain, we might not feel like eating, which is also normal and not a cause for alarm; finally, in response to the classic “I don’t like the food,” let’s explain that there are different types of foods, and many of them they will like. Let’s try them in a fun and balanced way, and we’re sure to find recipes with the necessary nutrients that they will enjoy. Many of you may be wondering, what are the necessary nutrients? According to the FAO/WHO, the energy requirements necessary for children are: *Nutritional requirement is defined as the minimum amount of a specific nutrient that an individual needs to maintain an optimal state of health, being able to prevent the appearance of clinical manifestations of malnutrition or specific deficiencies. In children, requirements are determined according to the amount of each nutrient necessary to maintain satisfactory growth and development. Requirements may vary quantitatively from one individual to another.