We have a two-year-old grandson, which is a column topic in itself.
For today’s purpose, I bring up the youngster in relation to the ongoing effort by “we adults” to prompt “the kids” in our lives to consume fresh fruits and veggies.
The other day the whole extended family was eating out at a barbecue restaurant here in Kansas City. I tried to prompt young Carl to eat a little coleslaw before offering French fries and ketchup. It was a no go.
Was it taste, texture, or merely instinct to resist a perfectly tasty spoonful of coleslaw?
As a grandpa, I don’t have the hard job of “training” our grandchildren in the dietary way they should go, (that’s mom and dad’s job!) so naturally, put down the spoonful of coleslaw and offered him a fry with ketchup. Success!
I know I shouldn’t have given up so easily, but it seems many parents have tried and failed to convince kids about the many benefits of fruits and vegetables.
The Independent from the United Kingdom reports on the issue with a headline “British parents ‘giving up’ on convincing kids to eat fruit and vegetables, survey finds”
As reported by the news site, The survey found:
- 2,000 parents of children up to age 10 polled revealed 41% have given up trying to get greens into kids’ diets;
- 29% say they have lost their patience trying to get their youngsters to eat a healthy diet, with 20% saying they have given up because they were tired or in a rush; and
- 5% say they simply don’t think it’s important for their children to get their “five-a-day”.
- Brussels sprouts are the most disliked veg by kids, with cabbage and mushrooms next ; and
- Apples, strawberries, and carrots were the most popular produce for kids.
The news hook to the research is that it was commissioned by home appliance manufacturer Beko to celebrate the launch of its new “Eat Like A Pro” campaign, run in partnership with FC Barcelona. Check out the campaign here.
From a Beko news release:
Beko (bekoappliances.com) is partnering with FC Barcelona, one of the world’s greatest soccer clubs, in a global ’Eat Like A Pro’ campaign to inspire and educate families on the importance of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
If current trends continue, the number of overweight infants and young children globally will increase to 70 million by 2025. “Beko is striving to help tackle this crisis through innovative technologies that make healthy eating easier, while raising awareness through the ‘Eat Like a Pro’ campaign,” said Hasan Yardimci, president of Beko US, #1 European freestanding home appliance brand recently introduced into the North American market.
At the recent EuroCucina International Kitchen Furniture Exhibition in Milan, top Italian chef Alessandro Borghese unveiled exclusive, delicious and healthy recipes for the campaign, which encourages consumers to emulate their FC Barcelona heroes and ‘Eat Like A Pro.’ More than three million players between five and 19 years old are registered with the U.S. Youth Soccer Association.
“As both a chef and a father,” Borgehese said, “I am a passionate advocate of healthy eating, and therefore the campaign and everything it stands for is very close to my heart. I’m a firm believer that nutritious food needn’t fall short on taste…or excitement!”
Borghese’s recipes have been approved by Dra.Antonia Lizárraga, FC Barcelona’s top nutritionist, and are available on Beko’s ‘Eat Like a Pro’ website. Here, parents, children and families can access a range of fun activities, healthy eating hints, tips and recipes, while learning about the eating habits of the team’s finest players in videos like this.
TK: It is a real struggle competing against cheetos and Dr. Pepper, and there is no use leaning on grandpa for help to guide dietary choices. Perhaps #Eat like a pro can be a convincing voice to help kids eat more fruits and vegetables. Wouldn’t that be nice?
