When it comes to getting your kids to eat vegetables often they are like little dragons. Putting a bowl of steamed broccoli or salad in front of them can cause them to breathe fire.

You scour the internet and use magic to create the most delicious and appealing dish of vegetables fit for royalty. Only for them to defend their veggie free plate like it is King’s Landing under siege.  With a little Khaleesi in your approach you can turn the your little Dothraki’s from fierce warriors into loyal supporters of your culinary rule.

Kids Don’t Like Vegetables?

Vegetables are not seen as a treat in our society, sadly, it is the opposite.   Too many kids eating vegetables is a chore.  They are not sweet, can take a longer time to eat and they don’t give them the instant gratification that they have probably become accustomed to.  Compared to other foods that your child eats, they are not exciting and often it is the other food on your child’s plate that gets all the attention. Think burgers or a steak.  Perhaps your child refuses vegetables all the time because s/he hasn’t had the opportunity to acquire a taste for them?

The marketing practices over the last few decades has shifted away from eating whole foods to focussing on processed, convenient foods.  These “foods” are filled with sugar, salt and fat as well as many chemicals and preservatives.  No only do they explode on your child’s taste buds like catapults hitting the Wall but they are also are more appealing to your child due to the colourful packaging, added toy or character or shapes that they come in.

We all know that veggies are a powerful way to help our bodies stay healthy and fight off disease but how to you get them to appear regularly on your child’s plate?

Time to bring some Daenerys Targaryen savvy to your dinner table struggle by adopting some of her principles:

1. Keep your eye on the prize
2. Negotiate wisely
3. Embrace the journey
4. Empower your people
5. Rule with justice

Keep Your Eye On The prize

There is much scientific evidence about the health benefits of vegetables. As a parent it is your job to feed your kids healthy, nourishing food.  Who else is going to do it?!?  Khaleesi led by being a role model and so should you.

So, when you are facing a backlash, as you place that plate of steaming veggies on the table, embody Khaleesi.  Take a deep breath, keep poised, garner up the strength and instead of heading into a full on battle, offer the veggies and then practice what you preach.  Show them that you can eat your veggies too.  Take the biggest helping you can manage, encourage them to do the same and leave it at that.  Khaleesi didn’t gain respect in a day, she earned it with perseverance, and focus on the end goal.

Negotiate Wisely

Now that your focus has shifted from a daily battle to the greater outcome and you have harnessed the strength to keep going, make sure you do just that.  Keep creating those delicious and beautiful veggie dishes.  Implement the expectation that everyone tries one bite of each dish before making a judgement or start with small serving or incorporate a help yourself style dinner. As always, remember to lead rather than run into battle.

Embrace the Journey

Khaleesi’s end goal is to sit on the Iron Throne and as she advances towards this, she doesn’t neglect the steps along the way.   Just like she stayed around to keep the slaves free in Meereen, you can find reassurance in small victories in your kids green consumption.  Instead of forcing or loading up your child’s plate with all these new veggies, start small.  Start by making sure there is a salad on the table each night.  Add your child’s favourite food to the salad such as pickles, olives, cheese or pomegranate seeds, to keep them happy along the way. If you remain consistent eventually your kids will be enjoying veggies like Tyrion Lannister enjoys women and wine.

Empower Your People

Get your kids involved. The Mother of Dragons turned the Unsullied into even more loyal warriors by getting them to buy in.  Teach your kids the value of vegetables, why they improve your health and fight disease.  Find fun facts about vegetables and make it into a game at the table.  Have your child choose a new vegetable at the store to try.  If your child is capable of working an iPad or iPhone, then they are certainly able to help prepare a salad.  They can choose the vegetables, wash them, cut them or make the dressing.  Empowerment is where it’s at for lasting results.

Rule with Justice

Instead of taking a Joffrey approach to getting your kids to eat their veggies, give them some leeway.  Allow them to make choices of what they want to eat, how much they want to eat, etc.  But you don’t want to give them all the power.

As stated above, set some ground rules (e.g. try one bite) and keep a steady path of pushing them forward gently.  Be wise, if you sense their frustrated from something else that’s gone on, then tactfully see if this is the your battle you want to fight.  Likewise, if things heat up to unproductive levels, then be the leader and accommodate.

You may have to swallow your pride and take a step back every now and then, but that’s what it takes to sit on the Iron Throne.

Now it’s your turn. Comment below and let me know how you are going to bring your inner Khaleesi to your dinner table.