Child Wil Not Eat Veggies!

First of all, you're getting a great start by working on it this young! Before having my own babies, I worked with children with eating disorders. So I was a little obsessive about making sure my first baby got used to a balanced diet! She's five now, and amazingly brave at trying new foods and eating a balanced diet, so my OCD paid off. Here's some of my tricks: I did give her some fruit, but only in small doses and only as "bait" until she was really eating vegetables.
1. "prime the pump" my husband would say. Once they get into the swing of opening the mouth and eating, it's easier to trick them into tasting something new. If your child is suspicious, playfully dab a drop of something yummy on his lip. He will lick it off, and want more. Give him a bite, then, when he's opening his mouth for more, try your next trick.
2. "the coat". Put some squash, or beans, or spinach on the spoon, then dip the tip in pureed fruit. It tastes sweet at first, then the new flavor hits, but it's too late!
3. "the switch"-- alternate bites of fruit and veggies.

Remember that a baby has to get used to new flavors, and new textures. It will probably take many times before he really gobbles up veggies, but it will happen, because you care.

last hint-- enjoy yourself, put on some nice music, relax, and interact with your baby. Talk soothingly, make silly faces and sounds to correspond with new tastes...(ooo! sour!), and have fun. Every new taste that is in a safe warm, environment with mommy will eventually be a pleasant memory.

Now if only I could get my third child (almost 2) to eat vegetables... I just wasn't as consistent with him as I was with the others! The only way he'll eat them is if I give him a bite of desert alternating with his veggies and he knows he has to have one to get the other. But again, I know that just getting them in his mouth and down his throat in the context of a good experience (not forced, voluntary), will help him choose to eat them later. !
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I had the same problem. I added a little pear and applesauce to the veggies and he ate them up. Gerber also has jar foods that have the fruits and veggies together.

As a parent I have felt your frustration as well. As a nutritionist, starting your kids off right with healthy and nutririous food is so good for your children. Starting the child off with vegatables is the best way to introduce your baby to solids, so good job mom for doing this. When baby's are introduced to something new it may take some time and patience for them to get used to something new. Studies show that it may take up to 17 times of offering a single food before the child will try it. As for baby's they are a little differnt. SInce babys are used to drinking liquids, the texture of the solids may be too thick at first or maybe the temperature is too cold or warm for their liking. Texture and temperature may play a bigger role than flavor. So don't give up yet. Try adding a tiny bit of water to the vegeables to make it soupy and serve at room temperature or slightly warmer. See if this makes a differnce.

About the baby spitting it out. All baby's have a reflex where the baby's tongue projects outward when something is put into their mouth. The reflex goes away as the baby's digestive system develops. The reflex goes away around 4-7 months, I'm guessing. My first son, the reflex went away at 5 1/2 months, my second son at 6 months, and my baby girl at almost 8 months who is almosst nine months now. Her favorite vegie is sweet peas, but she aso likes squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, and mixed vgetables with rice.

Introducing new foods to a baby can be challenging, but all babys are different and go at thier own pace. Don't feel bad if your baby isn't feeling ready yet to eat vegetables. Just keep offering a little at a time and only time will tell, and you may find that your baby will begin to develop likes and dislikes. When your baby develops dislikes don't stop offering it even if your baby doesn't eat it. Offer, offer, offer, is the key without forcing it.

A.

Yes, I agree with the other Moms, stop for a while, and then make your own when you're ready to introduce again. I made ALL my own baby food, and both my kids eat well--including veggies!

It makes it very easy to take one day make all the food and freeze in icecube trays. Take out as soon as they are hard and place in labeled freezer bags!

GL:)

Hi T., I wouldn't push the veggies or get stressed over your baby not wanting to eat them. However, when I introduced veggies to both of my kids, I sprinkled a tiny bit of sugar on whatever it was and warmed it up. Have you ever braved a taste of baby food veggies. They are very bland and tasteless. My boy is now 5 and my girl is 3, and they both eat whatever veggies I put on the table. My girl loves any vegetable, and my boy is a little more picky about what kind he wants to eat, but he will eat any vegetable if he wants dessert. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I didn't read thru the other responses so I apologize if this is a repeat,but you could try mixing the veggies with some applesauce then over time lessen the amt of applesauce.

I was told the same thing by a friend, then my doctor suggested to feed my son with the lighter colored foods first (fruits atc) and then move on to the darker colors (veggies). He said it would be easier for his system to digest. It has worked great, and my son loves his veggies! He is now 8 months old and eats great..veggies and fruits. Good luck!!!

I have the same problem. my three will not eat any veggies, so i asked WIC and they said to chop up the veggies and mix them up with something the same color. like cola flower in mashed potatoes. it seems to be working there eating it with out arguing.

Check out the book "Child of Mine...Feeding with Love and Good Sense" from the library. After you look it over, you will probably want to buy it. It is written by Ellyn Satter, internationally recognized authority on eating and feeding. She is the leading authority on nutrition and feeding of infants and children. It is not true that he will never eat vegetables if you give him fruit now. You are doing the right thing - he'll eat vegetables when he is ready. Check out the book, it is excellent and it will make you feel more confident.

When my children were first learning to eat veggies, they would spit it out,too. Then I tried adding a little bit of sugar and that's all it took. Now, they are grown with little ones of their own and they had to do the same thing. I hope this works for you, but I think 6 months is a bit soon for some things.

Whenever I would try anything knew I would mix a spoonful with something that he liked. Try this with the veggies, mixing with the fruit. It will give him some different taste sensations for him to be willing to try new things when he is older. If the vegetable thing is still a problem in his older years, try a book written by Jessica Seinfeld call "Deceptively Delicious" it helps you incorporate vegetable into your children's diet without them knowing, and it has worked wonders for me and several of my friends.

My son was just like that! I just did cereal for a time and stopped and then tried again. Eventually he just decided he would eat them and did, but it was not until he was almost 9 months old! I would just keep trying after a short break. He will come around!

He must not like the texture of the baby food. To not like any of the veggies it has to be more than the fact that they are vegs.

You might try a different brand, maybe one of the natural ones instead of Gerber or visa versa.

But remember, he is only 6 months old and he will eventually eat real food. Might not like all of them but most kids like corn and green beans.

good luck. M. b

Hi T.,
Just keep trying. Their taste buds arnt fully developed yet. Just continue trying to introduce them over and over again. Your doing the right thing by continuing to try.

I haven't read through all the responses and maybe someone has suggested this, but what about mixing the veggies with a little bit of fruit?? Like peaches or applesauce or something like that. It will give the veggies a sweeter taste. you could start out with like half and half or 1/4 veggies and 3/4 fruit and then gradually decrease the fruit and have more veggies. I did that for my son, but I can't remember what fruits I used (it was 12 yrs ago).

Mine won't really either T., and he is seven. He will eat corn with pizza or wash it down with water(as they did in daycare) and he will eat a green bean or two with out a fuss. I remember him telling me- " I will eat my vegetables when I am 6"
I guess my advise is- if it doesn't bother you that much, then just pick your battles. I don't believe meal time is the time or place for a flare up, so, I let him eat what he wanted off his plate( at 7 I am a little more demanding of him) But let him eat what he will and add a gummie multi vitamin. My feeling is that it isnt' worth fighting about at this age.

I mix the veggies and fruit together when I feed my daughter and she eats it very well. It makes the veggies a little sweeter. I agree with the other moms advice. Just give it time, he is suppose to get most of his calories and nutrients from formula for the first year anyway. Good luck.

As the mom before said no baby first likes veggies, really stick with the cereal for know and then around 8 months start introducing veggies, and keep introducing, only one of my 7 never took to veggies and at 16 he still doesn't but there really isn't one out there that the rest of them don't like, one other mom mentioned doing your own, they do taste different then jar foods, I did it for most of mine but have on occasion used jar, the fruits are good in the jar but not the veggies, my 6 and 3 year old eat the fruit still, they call them puddings,so easy off a little food isn't really necassary at this point, it is only a training execsise.

I noticed no one else mentioned this- but your baby is 6 months old. I assume you are just beginning to feed solids. Of course, small tastes first since they are still nursing for the nutrients they need, but are you finding your baby just won't eat veggies or will she not eat anything.

It MIGHT be that you are seeing the reflex she might still have of thrusting her tongue out. They aren't supposed to really be ready to eat solid (pureed) food until they lose this reflex.

Just a thought. I also agree with all the other moms about making your own baby food- After a few months, you might try pureeing any (healthy) foods you might be eating for dinner...spaghetti, peas, green beans, or whatever! They learn to enjoy the tastes you cook so they'll still ove your cooking when they get older! :)

My Daughter was the same way. She would only eat sweet potatoes and fruit. I disagree that if you give them fruit they'll never eat veggies. Now my daughter 14 months loves peas green beens and corn. I just kept trying to give them to her even when she refused. Then one day it was like wow these are good.

Keep trying. They say that it can take up to 10 times before any child will like it. If they eat it now, they will later. I would mix with cereal and add a little bit of white grape juice. Also, try mashed avocado with banana. You don't have to cook either one. Just puree it up. The banana taste comes through and the avocado is SO GOOD for them - good brain builder. Good luck.

I remember sometimes it took awhile for my son to eat something. I just kept trying, or I would take a break and try some other time. I also read you shouldn't give them fruit first. But I did. And he eats vegetables and eventually he ate the baby food vegetables. I think he just was not used to it. Also, six months is still early, so you have plenty of time!!

Have you tried butternut squash? My kids loved that. I also found that my kids loved yogurt. If your baby likes cereal, that has the most nutrition in it anyway, so don't worry about pushing the other solids. I also found that my babies loved home made veggies a lot more than store bought baby food in a jar. Try cooking your own carrots or potatoes and mashing it up for him. Really, I think babies just have to get used to the texture and flavor of other foods. Just keep trying and he'll grow to like it. Or, I say go ahead and try fruit. He might learn to "try" more things if he knows they sometimes taste yummy. What can I say, I kept all the "rules" with my first child and by the time the fourth one came along - what rules?

I was blessed with veggie eaters, but I do recall a time in which mixing the disliked veggies with homemade applesauce and then cutting down on the amount of applesauce each time did the trick.

J. F. Mom of 3 imaginative girls

The first food I gave my daughter was avocado and she ate it with no problem. Are you using store bought baby food or making it yourself? If you aren't making it, you might want to try. The home made food has much better flavor (it tastes like what we eat) and in my opinion is healthier for the child. It isn't difficult to make and doesn't take much time if you do it in big batches. I use to take one evening each week and make a bunch of food for the upcoming days. I would recommend the book "Super Baby Foods" by Ruth Yaron. It's a great book!