Is it okay to smother my child’s vegetables in butter?

If your child insists on having butter with his or her vegetables, then it’s okay to add a little. However, masking the flavour of the vegetables completely, and adding too much fat, is not a good idea. Here are a few tips that can help you to make healthier choices for your child’s vegetables:

Limit the serving size of the butter to one small pat.

Try using olive oil instead of butter. It adds flavour, but it’s healthier.

Use reduced fat cheese instead. Cheese does have a high fat content, but it’s also got more calcium and protein, which makes it a healthier choice as a topping for
vegetables.

Low fat salad dressing, tomato sauce, yoghurt and low fat mayonnaise can all be used as an alternative topping or dipping sauce for vegetables.

Serving vegetables differently is another way to encourage your child to eat them without lashings of butter. Make vegetable kebabs, or use them in a crisp and tasty stir fry instead of serving them as you usually do.

If you simply cannot get your child to eat a particular vegetable, then try a different vegetable, or even a fruit. It’s important that your child eats a balanced diet, but if he or she simply does not like something, you don’t have to have a battle about it. Simply try something else.