Good Ideas Anyone?

When my little boy was two, he also did not want to eat veggies. I told him that the Dr. said that he needs to eat veggies, and believe it or not, it worked. He is three and he still asks me sometimes, "The Dr. said I should eat this?" and if I say yes, he will eat it. Good luck

I had the same problem with my son and I found that reverse psychology worked great. Just tell him not to eat those items on his plate - it will make him too fast, too smart, too big, whatever his hot button is. Then whenever he would actually eat it, I would say "oh no. Now you are going to be so fast, smart, so big." With my son, he wanted to be really fast. This worked with my nephew too. Another idea is to give the vegetables funny names - broccoli was "elephant trees." We still call it that in my family. It sounds like you are doing a great job. Eventually they will learn to eat almost anything.

Sounds to me like you are doing a great job, he eats better than most adults!!! Maybe try sneaking some cooked veggies into a fruity smoothie? But I do like the idea of presenting veggies that actually look like veggies so the child recognizes them as what they are, and will eventually learn to like them (not always doing the sneaky thing like in Jessica Seinfeld's recipes)

You are a great mom, keep up the good work!!! You gave me some ideas, thank you ; )
J.

There is a cookbook out there by Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Jessica, called Deceptively Delicious. She hides the veggies in foods and no one is the wiser. Here is a link to that site: http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/ She dealt with the same issue, how to get her children (and for some of us our husbands) to eat what's good for them! I think you'll find this will help you a great deal.

Sound like he eats better than most children. Don't press it he will eat them eventually.

wow, it actually sounds like he eats a lot of veggies compared to a lot of kids. my daughter loves veggies, my son prefers fruit, but i do just what you are doing. i offer them at every meal, and find new ways to get them in. i have heard of a cook book that gives ideas for mixing veggies into other foods, like cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and spinach and zucchini into pasta sauces and such. i don't know the name of it though. i think you are doing great, and just keep it up.

what about raw vegies with ranch dressing, or peanut butter, or some other kind of dipping sauce. sounds to me like he's eating a well balanced diet. just keep offering things to him and maybe he'll come around eventually. and remember...there will be things that he just won't eat...just like there are things the you and i just wil not eat.

Keep up the good work! You are doing all that you can do. Introduce veggies in new ways as often as you can. My son is a very picky veggie eater. However my daughter is practiacally a vegitarian of her own accord. One easy way would be to blend them and mix them in with normal everyday foods. We have mixed carrot juice with grape juice (you can't taste anything through the grape.) Juicey Juice also has veggie infusion juice that even my veggie pikcy son seems to love. I hope this helps somehow. I know it is frustrating, but you are doing a great job. Also let him know he can't leave the table until he at least taste one bite. Sometimes he may discover he likes it! ;D

Alot of kids at that age will eat just about anything that has a dip! So you can offer raw or cooked veggies with ranch or cheese dip. Just make sure they arent sucking off the sauce and leaving the veggies.. lol. Also I hate it when people offer me books but I had this cook book that i recieved as a gift. I didnt even know about it til i pulled it out and looked at it. Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. All of the recipes contain healthy veggies hidden in everyday meals. At amazon.com it is $13.72. Might be worth the money until he develops a taste for veggies. Good Luck!

Hi Sarah!
I also have picky eaters. Though my girls are 12 and 9, they still dont like a lot of foods. I have figured out to keep, "squeezy" cheeze (cheese wiz in microwave bottle), chocolate syrup, ketchup, ranch dressing, and maple syrup around, they'll eat it! I try my best not to crinkle my nose at how gross it looks or may taste, they're still eating it. I know when they grow into adults, thier tastes will change and they wont be putting distcusting condiments on thier foods. But for now, it works.

My kids are 4 and 2. One of the only times I can get my 4yr old to eat veggies is when she can dip them in something. =0) So, we do lots of raw veggies dipped in ranch or cooked veggies covered in cheese! Heck, anything to get her to eat some! My 2yr old is a little less picky, but there are definitely things he won't eat. He's a "dipper" too, so that helps. However, I think they could both live on corn on the cob....especially the 2yr old. He gets a kick out of knawing on that and making a big mess! =0) I'm sure your 2yr old will follow in your oldest's footsteps soon........I would just keep offering and don't stress too much if he doesn't eat it quite yet. He'll come around.

Nutritionists say that if a person eats a good variety and amount of EITHER fruits OR veggies, they will get the necessary nutrients. Since he eats fruits well, and some veggies, it doesn't sound like he's deprived. BUT, continue to offer a small amt. of veggies. Many parents try something, the child doesn't eat it, they decide the kid doesn't like it, then never try again. Everyone's tastes and interests can change over time, and children esp. like familiarity so continuing to offer a little might spark an interrest when you least expect it.

My response is that you are not alone and be happy that he eats what he eats. My son, who is 21 months, only eats sweet potatoes, carrots, spagetti, baked beans (strange one for a toddler) french toast, yogurt, some cheese, and that's basically it. I talked to my pediatrician and he said at that age it really isn't worth the fight and what he IS eating is healthy. I have considered, but haven't done it yet, pureeing some veggies and mixing it in with spaghetti sauce so he can at least get some greens. He will also eat baby food fruit - he used to love bananas but won't touch them now and will not eat any other fruit.

I have heard that it will eventually pass and he will start to eat more - but I get a fight everytime I try to introduce something new and he will spit out anything that he doesn't like that I try to mix in (like pieces of chicken or any other kind of meat).

I guess all we can do is try to be patient and see what happens. I'm just glad that he isn't one of those children that ONLY eats french fries, mac-n-cheese, and everything fried. The way I look at it, he's eating healthy and drinks lots of milk, he's not losing weight and is happy.

I was going to talk to the ped. about if he needs a vitamin supplement since he gets vitamins from what he eats, but not all the vitamins he should be getting.

It'a impossible to "make" a child eat anything but it sounds like your son has a very healthy diet already. My only suggestion is to try offering him something to dip his veggies in, like salad dressing, sour cream or guacamole or even pancake syrup, whatever he likes and serve his veggies cut like fries so it's a fun shape to dip and eat. Good luck but try not to worry about it. His diet is much healthier than most 2 year olds!

Hi Sarah!
By the sounds of it... you are doing everything right!! I've heard it can take up to 20 times of offering a new veggie before the child will eat it! It sounds like your son has a very well-balanced diet so I wouldn't worry to much. My 3.5 year old is just now starting to try veggies... her 19-month-old sister will eat just about any and always has. It could just be a "control" thing.... toddlers are famous for needing to claim control of something! What has helped my oldest try new things is 1. having me & my youngest eat them and make a big deal of how yummy it is (even saying, oh you won't like it so she begs to try it) and 2. asking her to try something new and putting 3 of it on her plate (3 beans, 3 carrots, 3 green beans, etc.) and saying "you're 3 so just eat 3" and that seems to work. One other thing that helped us start it all (I'm not sure how you are about tv) but there's this show on Noggin "Yo Gabba Gabba" and they have an episode about trying new foods/ veggies with a cute song that I sing to get her to try something and during the episode, the veggies have a party in your tummy when you eat them. She loves the show and it's positively influenced her! Hope some of this helps & keep up the great work!!
Blessings,
H. :)

Sounds to me like he eats more veggies than most 2 yr olds I know!!! Seriously, if you just keep giving him oportunities to try different things - one bite at a time, and don't make an issue out of it - he will probably try more things as time goes on. With some kids it's as much about texture as it is taste, so you might try cooking other veggies into the potato fritters since that's the way he seems to like them. Try not to stress, keep giving him new things to try and he'll do better eventually. Good luck!

At least he eats fruit, that is good! I had the same problem with my kids, but they were older before I finally resolved it. They were probably around 7 when I created the 'circle the plate' method for my kids. I asked them to take a bite of the new food, like a piece of leaf lettuce, broccoli, or carrot, before eating anything else on the plate. I told them they could take the tiniest bite they wanted and even wash it down with water. We would have a contest to see who could take the tiniest bite and then we would cheer & clap when they successfully did it. But then they had to do this each time before circling the plate again. They took big bites of the other foods, but we didn't let them get crazy big. We made sure they chewed them well. Anyway, at first I thought it wasn't working but finally after about a week one of them said 'look, I don't need to wash it down with water' and we cheered. Eventually, I put five pieces of lettuce or broccoli or whatever on their plate and they had to eat an entire piece before circling the plate. Now, they eat large salads - no problem - and in fact, seem to like them. They just had to be desensitized. I guess I didn't eat enough salads while I was pregnant with them, as they say what the mother eats while pregnant sets them up for liking those foods. :-)

But your son is younger, so I would maybe just ask him if he could take just one tiny bite of the new veggie before eating the rest. And promise that you won't make him eat another bite of it for that meal.

Here is a Q&A by Dr. Greene that helped me to understand that they just need to develop a taste for certain foods:

http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&...

Hey Sara,'I do workshops at my office once a month on these types of issues.
The Next one is Tuesday, August 12 at 6:30 PM and on Wednesday, August 13 at 9:30 AM.
Call ###-###-#### or email me if you would like to come. Sessions are Free!!
T. H.

Ahhh yessssssss..... I have had LOTS of experience with this. Does your little one eat pizza? I started shredding veggies and cooking them into the sauce under the cheese.

This is not something that passes quickly in my experience. My son is a very picky eater and has just recently started eating more of a variety. For years it was only pizza, chicken nuggets and french fries and cantalope. Now he is much more varied in his eating.

Check the healthfood store for mega greens juice or powder as an additive for other juices. Turns them a muddy green, but he will get LOTS of goodies for his little growing bod :)

OK - my 1 year old is the exact same way. I feed him Puffet's which you can get in the frozen food section of your closest Super Target. They are full of great nutrients and have tons of vegetables in them. I also hve purchased (forgive me I can't recall the name) but they are at Harris Teeter by the salads, they are nuggets fileld with veggies, my son actually LOVES the spinach and cheese ones. He prefers them if you remove the breading. Hope that these help.

Try Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

I also have a 2.5 year old that rejects his veggies. Recently, I have tried a few things with hit or miss success. My son loves dips. So I made a lima bean dip (pureed lima beans with evoo, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice too I think, you can google "Garlic lima bean dip"). I tried to let him help me make this which increased his interest. He really does love hummus, which is great. I let him dip whatever he wants into it, or eat it by the spoonful. He only likes the roasted red pepper kind however. But if your kid likes dips, too, there are so many things you could try. Just experiment with all kinds of steamed veggies in pureed form. I can sometimes coerce my son to eat carrots if he has enough ranch on his plate. Usually though he just licks the carrots off. Also, I let him help me make macaroni and cheese. I assume that this won't work for you since yours hates pastas, but for anyone else reading, we pureed some steamed carrots and steamed cauliflower and mixed it into the mac and cheese. Tasted great and you'd never guess it had veggies in it. I tried to pass off spaghetti squash as noodles but that didn't work well. But probably the best advice I have is to check out Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious, which tells you how to make all kinds of great foods with veggies hidden in them. (chocolate chip cookies with chickpeas in them, brownies with beets inside, as well as main course foods) It sounds like you have been very creative, though, and I would love to know how you make zucchini fries and veggie fritters. I would like to try that.

Get Jessica Seinfelds (yes, jerrys wife) book Deceptively Delicious, it is full of yummy-kid tested recipes that hide veggies. I cook from it all the time b/c me 3 yr old wont eat veggies, and it gives me peace of mind knowing he gets some. There is one he loves, scrambled eggs where you add pureed cauliflower. Works like a charm. She gives you a whole shopping list so you have everything you need for all the recipes.

Hello!
I was watching Oprah the other day and Jerry Seinfield's wife has a great idea. She uses puree's inside her other foods: For example she puts califlower puree inside her mashed potatoes, carrots inside her mac and cheese. Things like that. She has written a book that has many recipies and ideas. You may go to Oprah.com and see about ordering this book. It sneaks in vegies without your kids even knowing... Hope this helps good luck. T.

My kids love vege's. I make a deconstructed salad. I cut up all sorts of vege's, nuts, cheese, chicken, etc. and give them dipping cups with different dressings. They dip and bite and love it. We also do this with fruit.

With the pasta try boiling silly pastas (let them choose several boxes at the grocery store, the regular pasta absorbs the flavor better than the whole grain) in broth instead of water. I sautee some onion in olive oil then add diced tomato (you can peel it first to get the skin off) and chicken cubes and vege's (peas, corn, whatever I have left in the fridge frozen is fine) once the vege's and chicken have cooked for a few min I add the pasta, salt and pepper, some olive oil and cook a few more minutes to let the flavors mesh. After you put it in front of them I sprinkle parm. cheese and they LOVE sprinkles. It sounds like a lot of work, but I make a lot and they eat it 2-3 times in a week and my hubby loves it at work. I make different variations depending on what is in mr fridge. They also help me since dumping corn, dumping tomato, etc. are safe for them to do.

Hope this helps, J.

There's a cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld's wife), called "Deceptively Delicious" and it's all about getting veggies into the diet. You might give that a try.

Hi Sarah,
It sounds like your son isn't doing too bad...I wouldn't worry so much, yet. My nephew stopped eating all veggie's and fruits at the age of 2.5 and continued to not eat them for 2 years. His pediatrician was never very concerned because he was growing and healthy. The doctors main concern was that he made a bowel movement regularly, which he did(though I'm not sure how). My sis always offered him both and he always refused for the 2 years. He is just recently returning to veggies all on his own. It's a phase some of the wee ones go through. So you can take this however you like. On another note though, if he really needs to be taking in fruits and veggies maybe you should start hiding them in food. This seems to be a popular trend right now. I know Jerry Seinfeld's wife has a cook book out in regards to it.
Good luck!!!
J.

i haven't read any other responses yet, but if your child is eating those things you listed, as well as lots of fruits, i just wouldn't even worry about it! i can only get my 12 year old to eat spinach salad and green beans and occasionally english peas. i have to force him to do those, but he has given up fighting about those, for fear it will be something worse offered next meal! ha! your son eats fine right now - ALOT better than most children - i have taught young children for years, and i always am amazed at the kids who will eat raw veggies like they are candy, even though i now have a child that prefers fruits/veggies over meats and desserts... i am sure he is a healthy little guy! good work!

I/m going to chime in with the deceptively delicious as well. I bought if for a friend who's daughter wouldnt touch a veggie and she has been sneaking things in ever since :D

Another idea is to make faces out the veggies, and make your own lowfat dipping sauce with plain yogurt or light sourcream and a bit of ranch seasoning.

And another thing-if you have the space/time-is growing your own veggies and getting the kids involved. Its late to do it this year, but might be something to think about next year. We have a garden and my 3 year old enjoys helping and growing her own food and it makes it more interesting in her eyes to eat the food she helped to grow :)

You actually gave me a few good ideas! Thanks! I have a one year old with whom I am having the same battle. I also have a 3 year old that eats every kind of vegetable cooked in almost any manner, but the one year old has been a challenge! I thought I would recommend two websites that I have found very helpful. Here they are:

http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/ -this one is from Jessica Seinfeld with her book: Deceptively Delicious. She has free recipes on Oprah Winfrey's website and there is a link on this site that I gave you to get there.

www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipes.php -this one is from another book: The Sneaky Chef

I was interested in what you meant by cooking zucchini fries with EVOO. What is that? Could you email me that recipe at ____@____.com. Thanks so much! And also the one about the potato fritters with veggies mashed in. That would be so helpful!

V.

ah yes, the veggie averse toddler! BTDT alot! This probably isn't an immediate help, but persistence in serving them will help the most, and try first the softer versions (fresh is a little too foreign, ie fresh broccoli is more of a challenge than soft steamed). It made sense when I heard one of those TV docs (Oz?) say that a child must be exposed to something one dozen times to develop a taste for it, which made sense from my experience. Force feeding is hard for some parents, but I believe that my child has developed a taste for most veggies because I required that she at least taste everything on her plate each night. She's almost 3 and will eat most veggies (our main challenge is grilled meats like chicken). Another little helper is ranch dressing. It is amazing what she's started eating with a little side of ranch (cucumbers, carrots, etc). I do remember.... she didn't like any of it, esp. ranch, when I first put it on her plate the first 5-10 times... but she has come a long way and will eat most anything. We're still working on chili :O) Good luck and just be consistent with what you want to serve...

First of all, I must commend you on your variety of foods. Everything you mentioned was very healthy.It looks as if your son favors the sweeter tasting veggies.Maybe try coating some of them with a honey or sesame sauce. You're actually doing a great job the way you integrate the veggies into the rest of the meal.

Your 2 year old sounds so normal. and he has a good diet concidering the limited veggies. I would continue putting it on his plate, but don't make any fuss over it, if he eats them great. if not that is ok, but don't say anything. Make sure everyone is eating the same thing. He will soon see his older sibling eats the veggies so they must be good. Just be patient he will come around. I also don't believe in force feeding, but I don't make special meals for the kids either, they get what everyone else eats.

P.S. MY daughter likes the Green Giant corn and broccoli-she calls it Dora Veggies(frozen isle), and she plays a game-see how many peas I can get in my mouth at a time! As long as you don't mind playing with food ;)

As for the milk, try putting a drinkable yogurt in it to change the flavor and see if he drinks more-my son and baby's favorite breakfast treat!

First, I think it is important you know that there is a biological reason that kids don't like veggies. It comes from way back, when families were outside together gathering, hunting, farming food. Poisons are obviously more dangerous to children, so they have something like 10,000 tastebuds, where adults have more like 3,000. So, they are more sensitive to the bitterness that may come along with "unsafe foods." In other words, the more bland the better.
With that said, my 3.5 year old started about this time rejecting food. (when she was little she would eat ANYTHING!!) I just kept offering foods to her, and eventually she decided she liked them. I also had her, "Just try one bite and we can have a treat after supper." The treat ranged from fruit and yogurt with cookies crumbled on top, to a small scoop of ice cream. This has worked great. In fact after many times serving squash, night before last decided she liked it, and even said cucumbers in her salad "aren't so bad."
I've also heard that the book "Deceptively Delicious" was wonderful. It has lots of recipies using purees. Hope that helps!!

I just took my 3 yr old to the doctor for a preschool checkup. My son eats chicken, beans, apples and peanutbutter. He will drink milk if it has strawberry flavor in in and he loves pudding. The doctor told me it is the age. They cannot control much. When they see it is something they can control then watch out. He is not asking for junk and that makes me happy. So relax and just keep trying. Let them know how well it tastes and it is good for them. My 5 yr old eats great. Anything I give her she tries as long as I am eating it. Hope this helps.

He sounds like he's a great eater to me. All of the variety you feed him - and he actually EATS - is wonderful. My one-year old granddaughter doesn't eat HALF of those things. I would say let him eat what he wants to with such a wonderful variety you are feeding him. He'll come around - just keep giving the veggies like you are doing now. My granddaughter won't eat any kind of meat!

My son is the same way, and I have learned two things. First, persistent does pay off. After months of putting peas on his plate and him acting like they were poison, he now eats them! Just keep offering and keep letting him see you eat them. Second, as much as I like variety and to change things up and keep them from getting boring, kids DON'T like that! They prefer consistency, and are comforted by the same things every day. It sounds like he's getting plenty of veggies based on the things you offer him that he does eat. If it means feeding him the exact same thing every day to get him to get the right nutrients, do it! He is comforted by that! Since I cook for the whole family, not just him, there's always something on his plate that he's not used to and that he has to grow accustomed to seeing. But, once he's seen it enough, he usually at least tastes it. So, don't be discouraged! Sounds like you're doing a fabulous job!

Try that new cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld. She purees all her veggies and mixes them into everything...brownies, cookies, casseroles, everything.

Good luck!

W.

Sarah, as we all know, sometimes our kids are determined to do the exact opposite for what we want them to do. The more fuss we make over issues the more they balk on us. One thing you may try is a grazing tray. Take a muffin tin & put in each cup some different chopped up fruits & veggies. Place the muffin tin in the play area. You may be surprised that when you are not standing over the top of him trying to persuade him to eat how much he may go nibble. Do it day after day & he will eventually begin to experiment more. Also, I have an excellent nutritonal supplement highly recommended by pediatricians that will help him to build a good nutritional foundation while building his taste buds. It is called Juice Plus & comes in capsule, chewable, & gummie form. It is highly recommended by well known Dr. Sears (askdrsears.com). If you would like more information, just call me ###-###-####. And CHILDREN BETWEEN AGES 6 TO 15 CAN GET THEIRS FREE.
Best of luck with the little one.
J.