One recent rainy April afternoon, I realized I’m tasked with covering how our produce industry is marketing to … my exact demographic.
Is the message from my sources resonating with me, a grocery shopper for my small family of three? Do I notice their efforts as a consumer?
I do notice it on Instagram and TikTok, I can tell you that. I notice mommy bloggers or momfluencers (whatever you call them) sharing how they get their small children to eat vegetables. Or just eat.
I also noticed a report published April 3 about a new study conducted in Berlin showing that children who sat at the dinner table for 10 extra minutes ate significantly more fruits and vegetables — about 2/3 cup.
Researchers’ findings indicate that “increasing family mealtime duration is a simple, inexpensive and low-threshold intervention that can significantly improve children’s diets.”
True, it was a randomized clinical trial of 50 groupings of one parent and one child 6-11 years old. Our child is 3 1/2, which is worlds away from a 6-year-old’s attention span.
So, sitting still for the average 20-minute dinnertime is often already a challenge for our preschooler.
But the study did call to mind how patience (sighhhh, these bundles of energy and emotion require so much of it) can reap rewards.
When my husband and I sit there long enough talking between ourselves, including our son in the conversation as needed, our child does tend to eat more items on his plate — items he had initially rejected.
We strive to pretend we don’t care what he eats because we know the more we try to force it, the more he’ll want to resist. But when he lifts a sautéed zucchini semicircle and nibbles it, we glance in glee from the corner of our eyes, then lock eyes with each other in jubilation. Success!
The wins aren’t consistent, but we can’t give up. Won’t give up.
Related: CDC:Small children aren't eating vegetables. Me: No kidding!
From produce marketers, registered dietitians, researchers and influencers — including those involved with Produce for Better Health Foundation and Healthy Family Project — I’ve gleaned some insights that I hope help our industry. They’ve helped our family, bite by bite:
- Repeat exposure. A lot. Over and over. Toddlers and preschoolers often only like familiar foods, so make it familiar.
- Lead by example. Hey, if that means talking to the other adult about how delicious something is, go for it. But eat and enjoy vegetables yourself. Children are always watching and may follow, eventually.
- Prepare the same vegetable several different ways. We adults have food, taste and texture preferences. So do toddlers. But they don’t have the vocabulary and knowledge to express it.
- Involve children in the shopping and cooking — when you have the patience and time for it. They can start feeling empowered and take ownership of the food creations.
- As Instagram influencer @LunchBoxDad said recently, everything is better on a stick, cut into fun shapes, or combined with dip. If you have the energy for it, play with the food.
Our industry can use this recent research and other tips to speak to shoppers where they are — at point-of-sale signage in store and in e-commerce, as well as on TikTok and Instagram, via the influencers doing their influencing.
I, along with thousands of others, tried the viral TikTok baked feta pasta recipe with blistered cherry tomatoes. And my child ate it.
That one time, at least.