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Comment by mensetmanusman | Hacker News Reader

Sugar/bread is easier.

We solve this by having a tiered eating system that starts with some salad or veggies, if they don’t eat, they clearly aren’t deathly hungry; dessert is available at the end of the meal if they finish.

Note this may require a family eating culture that includes salad et al. With every dinner, which is not the norm in America.

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I wonder if it's also the preparation method. Steamed veggies are of course not appealing vs ones flash fried in a little oil/butter plus salt.

My experience with little kids is that steamed vegetables are the most appealing, they just need to be offered before sweets. Things fried in grease or with salt added seem to be something that becomes much more appealing later.

I think preparation is a big part. If you offer a kid pizza and some cold broccoli together then yeah, they'll skip the broccoli.

Generally speaking, added salt is something you need to avoid with young kids. Likewise for saturated fats.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/foods...

Regarding salt, From the link, “babies” is different than kids. I doubt salt is going to hurt anyone older except in specific cases like heart disease or something.

I don’t buy the saturated fats thing either, except to the extent that they are a source of calories. If you have links to some studies that indicate negative outcomes vs the same caloric intake from other sources I am willing to read them.

Sugar lobby did a brilliant job convincing us all that fats are harmful, while all along sugar was the real monster.

Anyone doing significant amount of exercise (kids) would likely benefit from salt in their diet.

I figured out the flash fry thing just last year. Game changer, for me as well as the kids. So yummy. Be careful with that hot oil though! The most dangerous thing in the kitchen afaikt.

Steamed is how I like them the best, FWIW.

yeah I didn't discover veggies actually being good until adulthood when I learned you can just throw a little oil and salt and roast them in the oven.

My parents always steamed them to hell and put almost no salt on

I was well into my 40s before I learned that cauliflower actually tastes amazing when roasted. My mom always boiled it and I swear it always smells like something died in the kitchen when she did that.

Or raw - my child still loves raw veggies: carrots, broccoli, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumber.

That is the method that is apparently common in France. I recommend this book:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jan/20/french-childre...

The danger with this pattern is that it encourages overeating - stuff in the vegies so you get dessert as well, and wind up eating way more food than you need.

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