Daughter Won't Eat Fruit!

Hi K., Try making a game out of it. For example, pomegranates look like "jewels". My daughter tried this with twins she was babysitting. They didn't like to eat fruit but love "princess" stuff so she told them it was jewels they could eat and they ate them! With other fruit, try cutting it up and making stuff out of it. Some ideas: Make a flower out of banana slice on a piece of peanut butter bread, use the slice of an orange for a "smile", make an apple "flower" by cutting it with an apple slicer. She if she will join in on the fun and make eating it part of the fun! Hope that helps!

Hi K. V,
From my experience when it comes to fodd issues, kids can have likes and dislikes just as adults do. Also, kids can use food as a way to gain control over adults. Food aversions can also be a sign of undetected allergies. With that being said, I would not want to push my child to eat something before doing a bit more investigation. Maybe your 2-year old can get the nutrients she would be getting from "fruit" from other foods. When we think of "fruit" we think of vitamins, minerals,anti-oxidants,fiber etc. Research what veggies would give your child the same nutrients as the "desired fruits" and just substitute. At this age, you can control the show. Good Luck and Healthy Eating!
L.

K., my 23 month old daughter is very much the same way. She'd eat several whole bananas a day if I'd let her. Then we found an ABC book, and A was for apple. Now she'll occassionally ask for apple then only eat a slice or two. She ate a chunk of canteloupe the other day, and that really surprised me. I work hard to teach her names for foods then make her tell me EXACTLY what she wants so that I'm not wasting fresh fruit since my husband and I are on restricted diets and cannot eat it right now. She's also starting to accept mandarin oranges from the can...it's a slow process, so I'm happy with what she IS eating and continue to slowly introduce things over and over until she readily LOVES them! Good luck.

Have you tried smoothies yet? If she has a texture issue with eating raw fruit, she might like it pureed with ice, milk or yogurt. You could also try freezing the smoothie mix into popsicles for something different.

Another idea might be to try fruit mixed in with other things, like blueberry pancakes, apple muffins, etc. Perhaps she would like that idea!

Getting her into the kitchen to help making these things might also get her interested in trying fruit. My 2 1/2 yo son loves helping around the kitchen, and he's always more interested in eating something he helped prepare.

Good luck!

My daughter who's 3 eats only fresh strawberries right now and my son 1 1/2 eats pears, peaches, no veggies, very picky. They go through spells where they won't eat anything to eating what seems like everything. A lotof kids don't like the textures of foods. Does she like food ground up or mashed?

Don't stress about this. More kids don't eat them they do, especially around that age. My 8yo still doesn't eat any except a few. As long as she is healthy and growing that's all that matters.

Does she eat yogurt? You can mash or blend it up and put it in yogurt. Or, add milk and blend for a smoothy.

Hi, K.! I have an 18 month old daughter who refuses almost all veggies. I spoke with my pediatrician, and she said as long as she's eating one or the other, either fruits or vegetables, then there's nothing to worry about. Just continue to offer them, and maybe she will take you up on your offer! Good luck!

Maybe it's a texture thing. You said a variety of ways.....smoothies?? I have a recipe for warm fruit that I bake. Uses peaches, pineapple, etc. and is REALLY good. Maybe it's the fiber - MUCH more "obvious" in some fruits than others......have you tried adding baby food fruits to other foods (complimentary, of course) to get them in?

I've pureed all kinds of things and put them in everything from soup to coffee cake. No one knows and loves them.

Might want to try picking up a copy of FEED ME I'M YOURS by Lansky

Check out from the library The Sneaky Chef by Missy Lapine. SHe gives you ways to sneak in healthy foods in our kids diets. Apple sauce is one of the easier ones to sneak in.

Beechnut's website has receipes for using baby food in regular food so that your little ones get the nutrition they need without realizing it. Check it out. Also maybe you should try yogurt. If you can get her to eat the ones with the fruit mixed in then she'll still get the fruit she needs. My one year old loves to have some yogurt after he has eaten his dinner, sort of like a dessert. Good luck.

We have restricted diets due to what some foods will do to us. Dairy causes depression in my youngest boy and myself. My oldest gets very aggressive.
My husband on the other hand avoids fruits. He, one of my students and that mom are all allergic to a protein in the fruit. It makes the inside of their throat itchy.
I agree with others especially if she's eating the veggies, pick you battles.

Maybe she isn't ready for solid fruit yet. If she doesn't have very many teeth, then chewing could be hard for her. If she did ok with baby-food fruit, then I don't think it would hurt her to feed her that again for a little while. Then, introduce the solid fruit again. Have you tried applesauce? There are all kinds of flavors of applesauce, maybe she would like one of those. Also, it wouldn't hurt her to have her take a multivitamin until she is eating fruit well. Then you could feel better that she is getting her vitamins during this struggle. Hang in there. Hopefully this is just a faze and she will get past it. Our kids sure can drive us crazy sometimes! LOL

If it's turned into a fight, I would just back off and not even offer fruit for a while. It may be that she'll forget that she's fighting you on it. Then when you reintroduce it (with no fanfare), she may surprise you.

My duaghter was the same with veggies. Never liked them even as a baby and still won't touch them. Some people are just like that. Maybe try a flavored yogurt - see how she reacts to that.

Good luck~

Peace <>< ~ B.
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