PW invited parents of Shiksha Valley School, Dibrugarh (Assam) to share their insights on how they persuade their children to enjoy eating vegetables and healthy food

Obesity among children and associated diseases are increasing at an alarming rate countrywide. To teach our children — Disha (class VI) and Tejas (class III) — the importance of nutritious food, yoga and healthy lifestyle we often sit together and watch Baba Ramdev’s yoga programmes on television. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and festivals with specially prepared home-made dishes instead of unhealthy restaurant food. I also ensure that vegetables are cooked in different styles so our children don’t get bored, with attention given to food presentation to make dishes look attractive. I prepare healthy desserts for my children including halwa made with a variety of vegetables”

— Pinky Kabra, homemaker

“When children start eating solid food at the age of six months, they are not aware of the taste. It’s we who introduce them to different kinds of food. I believe they should be given all types of vegetables from youngest age so they can develop a taste for them. Moreover, children should be encouraged to dine with all family members and consume the same food that parents are served. My daughters Sejal (class X) and Saloni (class XII) used to sample all types of vegetables when they were young including bitter gourd. I never cooked separately for them. This has worked wonders”

— Dr. Mamta Bukalsaria, Amdent Gynaec Clinic, Dibrugarh

“My son Debabrata (class VIII) was introduced to healthy food from the time he was a toddler. It was so easy to feed him mashed fruit and veggies. But as he grew older, he started preferring junk food. I then decided to do things differently. I insisted on happy family mealtimes to encourage lots of fun filled conversations around the table. I also started experimenting with different recipes like custards, shakes, fries and salads. Most importantly, by discussing the pros and cons of eating healthy and junk food, my son has learnt to make informed food choices”

— Dr Sumana Chakrabarty, medical practitioner, Dibrugarh

“Preparing meals with a seasonal twist or fusing veggies into snack items have become routine to sustain the interest of my son Tanish (class XII) in greens. We have also started awarding him brownie points for saying yes to veggies. He has since been helping us grow vegetables in our kitchen garden so we can serve his favourite salads with freshly plucked greens. As parents, we appeal to the SVS management to introduce special classes on the importance of balanced diets”

— Dr. Swapna Nath Upadhyaya, associate professor at DHSK Commerce College, Dibrugarh