Four in ten parents have ‘given up’ on getting their kids to eat veggies

If a fellow parent tries to tell you that their child just loves greens and eats loads of fruit and veg (we all know one smug mum), there's a good chance they're lying.

It's been revealed that quite a lot of us have actually abandoned trying to reason with our fussy eaters. In a new survey, 41 per cent of mums and dads admitted that they've given up on forcing their kids to eat fruits and veg. Of that number, one in five said that they'd given up because they were tired or in a rush. A small number of respondents (five per cent) said that they didn't think that it was important for their children to have a balanced diet. Getting kids to eat healthily is a common problem, the research showed - three quarters admitted they found it difficult to get their youngsters to eat fruit and veg. Six in ten parents said they try to trick their kids into eating veg by hiding it in meals but ten per cent admitted that fresh produce they've bought goes off before anyone has eaten it. A third of parents also admitted that they lie about how much fruit and veg their children eat regularly. These figures come from appliance manufacturer Beko, which asked 2,000 parents about getting greens into their children's diets. "Our research shows that the battle to achieve a balanced diet continues and it’s as challenging as ever for some mums and dads to get fruit and vegetables into their little ones," said Donald Shepherd, Marketing Director with Beko UK. The dinnertime battle can wear you down, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve. Check out our tips for kids here and toddlers here.