{
  "id": 26017,
  "title": "Your tips on getting a fussy child to eat, and six recipes they'll love",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/21/your-tips-on-getting-a-fussy-child-to-eat-and-six-recipes-theyll-love",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-07-21T00:16:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Health",
    "slug": "bbc-health",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yrjgj984qo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As summer holidays begin, many parents face the challenge of their picky eaters at the dinner table. BBC asked readers for their tips on making mealtimes more enjoyable. Here are some effective strategies shared by parents:\n\nMum-of-four Natalia from south-west London makes veggie nuggets, as her children enjoy green beans and cauliflower when cooked and dipped in breadcrumbs. Teacher Kieron Fisher in Newbury, Berkshire, incorporates vegetables in meals his six-year-old twins Kit and Ollie love, such as curries and spaghetti Bolognese. Emma Robins from Reading suggests hiding broccoli in pesto pasta or adding vegetables to pasta sauces. She also recommends making homemade burgers with vegetables.\n\nTo ease the transition from holidays to a regular routine, Kieron uses visual boards to show the healthy snack and the activity that follows. For children with special educational needs, sensory difficulties may affect their food preferences. Parents should avoid pressuring them and always serve the vegetables on their plates for them to see.\n\nEmma encourages offering various healthy options and praises children when they try new foods. Research indicates that it may take up to 15 attempts for kids to learn to like new foods. Doone emphasizes the importance of family meals, where children can learn from their parents' eating habits. Parents can also involve older children in food preparation and take them fruit picking or to the supermarket.\n\nRemember, children's food preferences often improve over time. If your child avoids certain foods or limits their intake in an unhealthy way, seek medical advice.",
  "summary": "Want to avoid battles over broccoli and squabbles over spinach? We've asked you for your advice on how to cope at mealtimes over the summer holidays.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}